Sarat Chakravarthi is the founder and CEO of LeadYouth.
From the moment a mother soothes her crying child, mediates a sibling argument or encourages her teenager through self-doubt, she is leading. For many mothers, emotional intelligence—the ability to build relationships, care for others, navigate setbacks and support those around them—comes naturally. A woman who can guide a child through life’s challenges is more than capable of leading a team, a project or a company. It’s time to recognize motherhood for what it is: a masterclass in leadership.
As the mother of four teenagers, I have seen this firsthand. The leadership skills I utilize in my professional role are the same as those I apply as a mother at home.
Five Reasons Mothers Make Extraordinary Leaders
Since 2023, emotional intelligence skills have been among the top of the list of core skills employers are seeking, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report. If emotional intelligence is the key skill set leaders need, mothers have a natural advantage.
Mothers make powerful leaders because:
1. Leadership Is An Affair Of The Heart
Leadership flourishes through emotional connection. Likewise, parenting thrives on a mother’s instinctive ability to nurture, support and unlock the potential of her children. Women build families, and teams function much like families—when nurtured with care, trust and support, they stick together through challenges and triumphs. As mothers, we are already adept at guiding, inspiring, challenging, enabling and encouraging others to achieve shared aspirations for the common good.
2. They Excel At Managing Diverse Talents
A mom overseeing a multi-child household is equivalent to a leader managing a diverse team. Each child brings unique personality traits, needs, strengths and weaknesses. A mom uses emotional intelligence to understand each perspective, applies diplomacy to resolve conflicts and creates an environment where everyone feels heard, valued and supported. Isn’t that exactly what a leader must do? An effective cross-functional team leader tailors support to each member’s emotional and professional requirements, helping them develop in ways that benefit both the individual and the organization.
3. Women Haven’t Just Endured—They’ve Persisted
Throughout history, women have been shamed, silenced, denied opportunities and forced to compromise, especially mothers. These same barriers exist in leadership, but when overcome, they shape women into extraordinary leaders. Mothers excel in crisis management—watch how brave and relentless they become when their children need protection, help or justice. They challenge and fight until they get what’s needed. Their courage, resilience, empathy and grace shouldn’t be undervalued; they are the very essence of authentic leadership.
4. Mothers Are Adept At Balancing Priorities
Mothers excel at multitasking and managing competing priorities gracefully. Despite challenges, they accomplish their many responsibilities with composure. They coordinate household tasks, meal preparation, academic support for their children and emotional care for family members—all often while pursuing their own professional goals.
The constant juggling of responsibilities creates emotional and physical demands, but the ability to prioritize effectively under pressure demonstrates natural leadership qualities, enabling moms to handle complex and evolving challenges with both efficiency and grace.
5. They Embrace Uncertainty And The Unknown
As mothers, we learn how to become comfortable with uncertainty. You can read an infinite number of parenting books to study for the next stage or phase of your child’s life and still feel unprepared when the actual situation arises. You’ll inevitably face moments of self-doubt, anxiety and indecision.
Much like parenting books, leadership theories provide frameworks but can’t replace real-world experience. Accepting uncertainty becomes essential. Making mistakes and lacking immediate answers are typical parts of the process. We grow through these learning experiences, and everyone in these positions—both mother and leader—has faced similar challenges.
Overcoming The Challenges Women Leaders Face
Despite making up 46.8% of the United States labor force, the percentage of women leading Fortune 500 companies reached an all-time high in 2023 of only 10.6%. What’s holding women back from these leadership roles, and how can we overcome these challenges?
Lack Of Assertiveness And Independent Decision Making
Growing up, women are often taught to seek approval before making big decisions and to defer to male figures for validation. This mindset can make it difficult to trust your judgment and leaves you hesitant to assert yourself in personal and professional spaces. Additionally, a woman’s confidence is often mistaken for aggression, while a man’s confidence is seen as assertive and ambitious. One study showed that women receive 22% more feedback directly related to their personalities (e.g., abrasive, difficult, friendly, helpful) regardless of their performance level than men. A woman with the same skillset as a male counterpart has to work harder to prove herself and is judged against a different set of standards. I’ve seen so many women struggle with the same internal battle, conditioned to believe that leadership and decisiveness belong to men while we take on supportive roles. This way of thinking holds us back and keeps us from taking positions of influence and authority.
As women and mothers, we need to trust ourselves and have the confidence to take action even when the outcome is uncertain. Just as we expect men to share responsibilities at home, we also need to feel empowered to adopt traits traditionally seen as masculine, such as assertiveness, risk-taking and strategic decision making. By balancing these traits with our natural strengths, we can break free from outdated expectations and lead with both authority and empathy. As women, we need to embrace our confidence and assert our authority, not worry about what others think.
Work-Life Balance And Self-Sacrifice
Women often stretch themselves too thin, prioritizing family, work and responsibilities while neglecting their own needs and goals. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that sacrificing personal goals is the price of being a good mother, partner or daughter. However, when you expend all of your energy on others without refueling yourself, exhaustion sets in, and it’s harder to be fully present in any role.
I’ve learned that taking time for myself isn’t selfish; it’s essential. Managing my energy and setting boundaries allows me to be more present and effective in both my personal and professional life. My family won’t fall apart if I step away for a few hours to care for myself, and neither will my career.
Women Working Against Women
Internalized societal biases have made it difficult for women to fully support one another, often fostering competition instead of collaboration. The women in our lives who opted to focus on traditional roles in the home as mothers and caregivers often discourage and look down on career-minded women because they believe that we can’t best serve our families if our attention is distracted by work. I grew up seeing women working against each other in this manner, and for a long time, I struggled with the same mindset. I was judging myself and feeling that I wasn’t good enough. This self-doubt, reinforced by societal expectations, can hold us back from stepping into leadership roles and embracing our full potential.
But success isn’t a limited resource—when women support and uplift one another, we all rise. Rather than competing, we need to create space for each other, celebrate our accomplishments and understand that true leadership comes from empowering those around us.
Empathy, adaptability, problem-solving, resilience—these skills are the recipe for being an amazing mother and… a successful leader. The world needs more emotionally intelligent leaders, and it’s time for women to own their superpower, recognize their leadership potential and lead with confidence.
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