How Motherhood Translates in the Business World

There is a lot of discussion around the idea that mothers run into challenges from balancing motherhood and work; however, there are also many reasons why mothers are the ideal candidates for the working world. Motherhood is one of life’s greatest teachers, with challenges and new experiences that pop up daily. Many of which can translate beautifully into business. Here are a few vital lessons that motherhood teaches you that will position you perfectly for many roles in the business world.

You Learn to Lead

Leadership is a learned skill that requires a lot of insight. This is something that comes along in spades for mothers. While you can lead as an authoritarian, eventually your child learns that you are not the end-all, be-all and will rebel if you don’t lead effectively. Mothers must learn to guide and instruct their children with compassion and caring. This is the perfect lesson in leading teams. While employees are grown adults, lessons learned at home and with families about leading with respect, care and intentionally translate to the workplace.

You Learn to Prioritize

All mothers have to find a way to prioritize their many tasks and daily responsibilities. The reality is that there are often too many things to do in a day that often feels too short. While you may already be aware of this, motherhood is even more of a humbling experience with prioritization. This is a vital lesson for any professional and can help you become the flourishing business leader that you have always wanted to be.

You Rely on Organization

Staying organized is a vital element of navigating motherhood. You’ll learn to keep track of all of the essential tasks, important appointments and all of your necessary supplies. While the tasks and responsibilities may look different at work, organizational skills are key to your professional success. Learning to stay organized is how many mothers stay sane and is what helps the exceptional professionals stand out from the ordinary ones.

You Become an Expert in Adaptability

Motherhood will teach you many things; however, learning to adapt is one of the unavoidable lessons. Even when you have a carefully considered plan, children can come along and take you in a completely different direction. If you want your day to continue smoothly, you need to evolve and adapt. While this is an important element of motherhood, it is also vital in the workplace. Learning to pivot and change course, when necessary, can help put you on the path to success.

You Talk Through Problems

When you have a family, you are navigating all of the different options, choices and perspectives of everyone in your house. You learn to talk through problems and make a compromise. The reality is that life can throw you curveballs and learning to navigate those is an invaluable experience for any professional. At work, there will be plenty of times that you’ll need to deal with challenging situations and need to negotiate. Your experiences in motherhood make you an ideal person to handle these experiences.

Learn to Find Balance, But Know Balance Isn’t Perfect

In the world of business, there is a commonly found misconception that your professional and personal life should be perfectly balanced. If motherhood teaches you anything, it is understanding that this is not reasonable or possible. The reality is that finding balance does not mean a perfectly even split; however, it does mean not sacrificing yourself so that you burn out. You need to set boundaries, state your needs and invest in your care more so than ever when you are a mother, otherwise, you won’t be able to take care of anyone else. This is also true for your work. 

While it may not be perfect, you do need to learn to find a balance so that you can take care of yourself.

The invaluable lessons you learn as a mother can take you far in the business world. Learn from the challenges and beautiful opportunities put in front of you and you may be surprised at the marvelous results that you see before you.