True leaders, like mothers, must give more than they receive. 
If I think about my own family when I was growing up, my mother always ate last and I don’t really remember her ever sitting for long at the table. Compare this with the world of business, filled as it is with dominant egos and cut-throat politics, where genuinely giving for the sake of helping others and with no personal motive is rare. Never mind eating last, most of us are pushing ourselves in front of the dinner queue with the excuse of seeing others fill their plates as high as they can!
What makes someone a leader?
Some people say that leaders are born, others say they are
made. I think we are all born with the possibility of being leaders but we are also all born with the desire to follow because the
desire to belong to social structures has existed in humans since
the ‘hunter and gatherers’ time.
We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves: an idea, a dream, a purpose. there is a moment in life when you hear a beautiful story, a story that resonates and brings out something that was there, inside of you, all this time.
You feel that a man or woman really understands you and has a vision that you believe in. You are inspired; you follow and, suddenly you see other people following as well. It was all of you together, that have created … the Leader. Without you, she was just a woman or a man with a dream. For women and mothers, servant leadership is not about showing humility and care, it is about having the courage to blossom as a leader and not being afraid to share to let your enthusiasm and energy shine, It is not about arrogance, it is about serving a higher purpose.
Being a leader requires stamina, tenacity, patience and compassion for others. Yet, as a mother, you have these skills embedded in your DNA.
My children motivate me to show the best version of me – I can’t be a just ‘resource’ to them I need to be able to inspire them and to offer them a good environment for growth.
Caring for my children helped me to become more patient, and someone better able to step back and see the big picture. I am now officially okay with chaos, uncertainty and volatility.
This is exactly the the world we are living in these days, so to that extent having kids helps us to keep up with the pace of it all.
- Which leadership skills have you developed since you became a parent?
- What have you learned from the examples of mothers around you?
Steliana Economu is the author of Mothers as Leaders and a leadership coach specialised in emotional and positive intelligence(PQ and EQ). If you liked this article and want to enjoy more of this type of resources do follow us on mothersasleaders.com