Motherhood & Leadership*

First a quote; “Mothering has left me with stretch marks. I have been stretched beyond what I could have imagined." – Kathy Callahan

Good morning and happy Monday! (If appropriate, happy belated Mother’s Day too!)

Please note: I took the weekend off to celebrate my wife Becky on Mother’s day. While relaxing, I asked ChatGPT to help me with an article this week. While I made a few tweaks to this content, most of it comes to you directly from ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence application.

This does cause me to ponder the questions, “Can I be replaced by an app on my phone?” Or, “How will A.I. change our lives?” To me, this is both exciting and scary.

Perhaps a topic for a future article.

So, according to a computer server somewhere in the universe, following are a few of the similarities and differences between motherhood and leadership:

Motherhood is often considered one of the most challenging and rewarding roles a woman can have. It involves the care and upbringing of a child, which includes providing emotional support, ensuring their basic needs are met, and helping them develop into independent and responsible adults.

Motherhood demands patience, empathy, and a deep understanding of the needs of a child.

Similarly, leadership is also a challenging and rewarding role that requires a person to guide and inspire a group of individuals towards a common goal.

A leader must possess the ability to communicate effectively, make decisions under pressure, and build a strong team that can work together to achieve success.

The similarities between motherhood and leadership are evident in the traits that are required for success in both roles. A great leader, like a great mother, is empathetic and able to understand the needs of their team.

They must be able to listen, offer support, and create an environment where their team members feel safe and valued.

A great mother, like a great leader, must also be able to make tough decisions and set boundaries that are in the best interest of their child.

Motherhood can be seen as a form of leadership, as it requires a mother to lead and guide their child through life. A mother must inspire, encourage, and motivate her child to become the best version of themselves.

Similarly, a great leader must inspire and motivate their team to achieve their goals, deliver results, and work towards success.

However, the journey of motherhood and leadership is not without its challenges. Both roles require a person to balance multiple responsibilities, which can be overwhelming.

Mothers often struggle with balancing their responsibilities at home with their careers, while leaders must balance their responsibilities to their team with their personal life.

Despite these challenges, motherhood and leadership can complement each other. Mothers who have developed strong leadership skills can use them to their advantage in their careers.

Leadership skills such as communication, decision-making, and empathy can help mothers navigate the workplace and lead their teams effectively. Similarly, the skills learned from motherhood, such as patience and the ability to multitask, can be beneficial in leadership roles.

In conclusion, motherhood and leadership may seem vastly different, but they share many similarities. Both roles require immense dedication, patience, and perseverance.

A great mother and a great leader possess similar traits, such as empathy, effective communication, and the ability to make tough decisions.

Motherhood can be seen as a form of leadership, as both roles require a person to lead and guide others towards success. The journey of motherhood and leadership is not without its challenges, but with determination and the right skills, a person can excel in both roles.

Thank you ChatGPT for the weekend off. I’m certain you will get better with time and practice. It only took me 68 years to get where I am in life, but then I’m told your learning curve is a lot faster.

Please note, I will be on vacation for the next couple of weeks, I may publish a little less consistently during that time.

Have a great week!

* Revised & updated, originally published on May 15, 2023.

Bryan Yager

“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”

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Bonus Quotes:?

• “I can imagine no heroism greater than motherhood.” – Lance Conrad
• "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother” – Abraham Lincoln
• “For me, motherhood is learning about the strengths I didn’t know I had, and dealing with the fears I didn’t know existed.” – Hally Berry
• “For the mother is, and must be, whether she knows it or not, the greatest, strongest, and most lasting teacher her children have.” – Hannah Whitall Smith
• “Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing.” – Ricki Lake
• “Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.” – Barbara Kingsolver
• “Having kids—the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings—is the biggest job anyone can embark on.” – Maria Shriver