by Anne Welsh
At last week’s Women at the Top Summit, I had the privilege of moderating a panel featuring five remarkable working mothers — women leading teams, managing major projects, and raising families with grit, humor, and heart.
Each of them described what a single day can look like:
A two-hour commute that bookends twelve hours of focus.
A quick video call to check in with a child before a meeting.
Making decisions on the fly.
Juggling a loved one’s health crisis while still showing up for a team that depends on them.
Through it all, they continue to pursue growth, purpose, and progress.
The audience nodded, laughed, and teared up — because every working mother in that room knew that rhythm.
The constant pivot between worlds. The invisible mental load. The desire to do right by both work and family.
And then came a moment of quiet realization: all that effort, persistence, and adaptability isn’t just surviving — it’s leading.
What Motherhood Teaches About Leadership
We often overlook the leadership skills that working mothers practice every single day:
- Emotional regulation — staying grounded when everything feels like too much.
- Decision-making under pressure — finding solutions when there’s no perfect one.
- Empathy and presence — knowing when someone needs connection, not correction.
- Adaptability — adjusting when life (or daycare) has other plans.
These are the same qualities that define great leaders — they just happen to be sharpened through motherhood.
At Phoebe, we see this transformation every day through our Parental Leave Coaching Program.
We help women and their managers recognize these strengths not as side effects of motherhood, but as assets — powerful tools for growth, influence, and confidence.
Because when women are supported to integrate ambition and care, everyone benefits.
Good for Mothers — and for Children
Another truth from the panel: children thrive when their mothers do.
Dr. Welsh shared that research consistently shows kids of working mothers grow up seeing ambition and care modeled together.
They learn that fulfillment isn’t selfish — it’s part of a well-lived life.
One panelist shared that her daughter said, “I like that you love your job.”
Another shared that her sons proudly tell people, “My mom’s a boss.”
These aren’t just sweet moments — they’re signs of a generational shift.
One where success isn’t defined by doing it all, but by doing what matters most.
Reframing the Story
For too long, the story about working motherhood has focused on guilt and trade-offs.
The women on that stage — and the hundreds we coach — are writing a new one.
One where motherhood fuels leadership.
Where ambition and care strengthen each other.
Where women define success on their own terms.
The Bottom Line
When organizations recognize and nurture these hidden leadership skills, they don’t just retain talent — they grow better leaders.
At Phoebe, that’s our mission: to help companies build systems that let working parents bring their full selves to both work and family life — without apology.
Because when mothers thrive, so do their kids.
And when companies make space for that truth, everyone rises.
