The Leadership Playbook You Didn't Know You Were Already Using
I was reflecting on a recent coaching session when something struck me.
The most effective leader my client had encountered recently was a senior VP without children who consistently delivers exceptional results while maintaining her team's respect and loyalty.
As my client described her, I realized this leader was demonstrating every skill I see in the high-performing working mothers I coach.
She was ruthlessly prioritizing. She was making decisions with lightning speed. She was delegating with clear expectations and trust. She was saying no to good opportunities to protect her capacity for great ones.
She was thinking like a working mother.
The Leadership Skills We've Mislabeled
For too long, we've positioned motherhood as something that happens to a woman's career rather than something that accelerates specific leadership capabilities. But here's what I've learned from coaching hundreds of high-achieving women: the skills that make someone an exceptional working mother are the exact same skills that make someone an exceptional leader.
Strategic prioritization. Working mothers don't have the luxury of busy work. Every minute counts, so every decision must be intentional. They've mastered the art of distinguishing between urgent and important, between good and great opportunities.
Decisive leadership. When you have limited time, you can't overthink every decision to death. Working mothers develop an intuition for making smart choices quickly and moving forward with confidence.
Systems thinking. The best working mothers build bulletproof systems and processes that work whether they're in the office or at home. They create frameworks that sustain performance across different contexts and demands.
Authentic delegation. They've learned to trust their teams completely, not because they're hands-off, but because they're strategic about where their unique value is needed most.
Why This Matters for Your Career Right Now
If you're a high-achieving woman in consulting, you're already navigating competing priorities, impossible deadlines, and the pressure to be everywhere at once. The skills that will make you successful as a working mother are the same skills that will accelerate your path to partnership right now.
Think like a working mother when you:
• Review your calendar and ruthlessly eliminate anything that doesn't move your career forward • Prepare for client meetings by anticipating every possible scenario (because you won't have time for do-overs) • Build relationships with intention rather than hoping networking "just happens" • Create systems that maintain your momentum even during busy seasons or travel
The Strategic Advantage
Here's what most people miss: women who think like working mothers, whether they have children or not, don't just survive in demanding careers. They thrive. They become the leaders others want to work for because they've mastered efficiency without sacrificing quality. They've learned to lead with intention rather than just intensity.
They understand that sustainable high performance isn't about working longer hours. It's about working with more strategic focus.
The Real Conversation
This isn't about glorifying overwhelm or suggesting that motherhood is required for leadership excellence. It's about recognizing that the skills we've traditionally seen as "soft" or "accommodating" are actually the foundation of exceptional leadership.
The best leaders I know:
• Make decisions based on clear priorities rather than external pressure • Build systems that work whether they're present or not • Delegate with trust and clear expectations • Say no to protect their capacity for their highest-value work • Lead with authenticity rather than trying to be everything to everyone
Sound familiar? These are the skills every working mother develops out of necessity, and they're exactly what companies desperately need in their senior leadership.
Your Leadership Edge
If you're building your career with an eye toward future motherhood, you're not planning around a limitation. You're developing a competitive advantage. The strategic thinking, systems building, and intentional leadership required for successful working motherhood are the same skills that will set you apart in the partnership conversation.
Start thinking like a working mother now. Your future career and your future family will thank you.
What leadership skills have you developed that you didn't initially recognize as strengths? I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.
Ready to accelerate your leadership trajectory? If you're a high-achieving woman in consulting who refuses to choose between career success and motherhood, I'd love to connect. The women who build both remarkable careers and beautiful families don't leave it to chance. They approach it with the same strategic thinking they bring to their most important client work.
Until next time,
Karin
KEM Leadership Coaching
