Mom's are Incredible Leaders

Author

John Eades
12 May

Mothers are the first way we experience leadership.

There are always exceptions to this rule because everyone has a different story, but more often than not, mothers mold and care for us like no one else in the world can. Princess Diana said it well,

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A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.

Princess Diana

Last week, I taught an Accelerate Leadership Workshop and defined leadership as “Someone whose actions inspire, empower, and serve in order to elevate others.” As I described it in real-time, I couldn’t help but think of my mom. She has been a phenomenal example of leadership through her actions.

Today, more than any other day, we get to celebrate and learn from mothers because they make incredible leaders. Here are three leadership lessons I have learned from my mom and the mom’s in my life:

Lesson 1: Relationship is the Center of Leadership

Without strong relationships, you can’t lead. Mothers have an innate ability and make an intentional effort to understand how others are wired. Last week, during a challenging time with our 12-year-old son, my wife Amy said to me, “Let me talk to him one-on-one. I understand him.”

The only way she could say this is because she does. All great leaders know that relationships are at the center of leadership.

Lesson 2: Unity Creates Longevity

Unity makes people feel a part of something bigger than themselves. More people feel alone and disconnected than ever before in life and in the workplace. Did you know that research shows the #1 lever for retention is connection? Specifically, having a friend at work.

My mom is a world-class uniter and connector of people. When she moved to Charlotte, NC, in 1987, she didn’t know anyone. Instead of complaining, she started a group called Christian Mothers Group to connect moms in similar walks of life. Almost 40 years later, the organization still exists and unites moms to a common cause.

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#1 Lever for employee retention is connection

It’s impossible to unite everyone in an organization or a team, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. When people are united with others, they stay.

Lesson 3: Everyone Needs an Encourager

A day doesn’t go by that my almost 70-year-old mother doesn’t encourage me in some way. A text, a phone call, or an Instagram message.

Early in my life, it was football; in the middle of my life, it was golf, and now it’s work or my kids. (To repay her, I gave her a copy of the 64-Day Excellence Planner for Mother’s Day!)

Life is hard and relentless. Everyone needs a cheerleader in their life, and my mom has been that to me. I am starting to think the reason I do that for others is to repay what has been passed on to me.

If you are a mother, thank you for being an example to those around you of incredible leadership.

Happy Mother’s Day!

John Eades | CEO LearnLoft

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