There are multiple characteristics mothers practice every day that can position them as remarkable leaders. But often, when mothers attempt to come back to the workforce, they face a much steeper hill to climb. Vanessa Krumb, CEO and co-founder of Revere.ai, tells us why there needs to be a better support systems for working mothers.
The day I had my daughter, about ten years ago, was the best day of my life. I’ll never forget the moment the midwife put her on my chest. Her little head wobbled around searching for my voice and then she found me. We locked eyes and it was like lightning — that moment I knew I loved her more than anything in the world, just like that. Instant and perfect.
For a few weeks she basically slept most of the time. And then some time around month two she woke up…and I swear to all that’s holy I’ve known so few good nights of sleep since.
Don’t get me wrong, she is still a miracle and my own perfect love, but motherhood is hard work! So hard.
Being a mom takes serious grit. It requires a huge amount of responsibility, emotional control, energy, humor, perseverance, organization, selflessness. On top of all that it takes a willingness to accept and manage risk. There is nothing riskier than bringing a life into this world and eventually sending that person as a grown adult out on their own.
Here’s what I don’t get. Why aren’t there more mom’s in leadership positions? All of these qualities are an awesome fit for leadership.
You know why it’s not that common? Because we’re all so judgy. We kind of don’t like the idea of mom splitting her attention between family and a career. And you have to build up your career to get into a leadership position. According to Pew Research, only 21% of Americans think it’s a good thing that mothers of young children work outside the home. That’s it. The vast majority of us think Mom should be home with the kids. Career-minded moms have to decide whether they want to go against the grain by pursuing their ambition or just stay home.
I completely believe parents need to be there for their kids. Children need love, attention, plus a whole lot of car rides and homework help. And it’s true what they say — it really does go by so fast. That time is precious.
Photo courtesy of Vanessa Krumb
So after the kid is born, sometimes Mom stays home because that is what she wants and believes in. I totally respect and admire that. Sometimes though Mom stays home because of the social pressure. That’s what she’s supposed to do and society quietly (or loudly) implies anything else is kind of selfish. But there’s more to it than that even. There’s also the gender wage gap feeding into the decision of who takes on the household duties. When there are two parents involved and one earns less, probably that person is more likely to slow their career down for the sake of the family. It’s really hard to have two parents with two big careers unless you happen to have a lot of family nearby or other resources. Some people do — and that’s awesome. For others without this support system, there just aren’t the same options available.
Then when Mom re-enters the workforce, despite all the mad skills she’s picked up bringing life into the world and patiently shaping that little person into a decent human being — she’s behind. She has to work that much harder to catch up, and landing a leadership role is that much further beyond her grasp.
There are so few mothers in leadership positions because it’s so much harder for us to get there and unfortunately by even working outside the house we don’t win the good graces of society at large.
But for those moms out there who do want to get that top position, please — make it happen. Businesses need your grit, your patience, your heart and discipline. I’m not saying that to be warm and fuzzy. Companies with strong female leadership generate a Return on Equity of 10.1% per year versus 7.4% for those without. And having more women in executive positions leads to even better performance because it balances out the diversity of perspectives and results in better decision-making.
I’m celebrating all Moms but with a special shout out to my fellow boss-moms, hustling hard, packing lunches and rocking pitches. Cheers!
Originally published on Medium.
By: Vanessa Krumb