Feel like you’re wearing a million and one different hats trying to balance career and family? It can certainly feel that way, but — here’s the big thing no one talks about: it’s all one hat.
In 2022, there were plenty of challenges facing the next generation of female leadership. The pandemic (and its continued repercussions), social unrest, cultural divisions, and new remote work and school possibilities guarantee that leading teams and businesses in the coming year will be anything but “business as usual.”
The hard reality is that women in leadership are asked to take on a tremendous amount of work in far-from-ideal socioeconomic conditions.
The U.S. ranks worst out of 40 countries for paid maternity leave, and the prevailing narrative is that successful women have and do it all.
We all know that a bad day at work can lead to a draining night at home. You don’t stop being a teammate when you power down your laptop. And you don’t shut off being a mom when you fire up your computer. There is no question you have a lot of different roles in life.
Career woman, mom, friend, neighbor, volunteer, and daughter — to name a few! It’s challenging to wear all these hats — especially when one conflicts with another. But you don’t have to wear all the hats; you can just style them to your current circumstance.
The most defeating part about this “wears many hats” phrase is that it doesn’t consider YOU are always you, no matter what is happening in your life or “what hat” you’re wearing. Being deeply rooted in your purpose at home, work, and in your community gives you your signature style that carries across all the facets of your life.
How? Self–leadership.
I’ll outline here how women in leadership positions define and integrate professional and personal success through the ability to lead from a solid internal foundation.
The Importance of Self-Leadership: Defining Success on Your Terms
What is self-leadership? Self-leadership boils down to how you set your course in life, follow it as best you can, and correct your course along the way.Your self-leadership will be reflected in how you interact with colleagues, clients, sales prospects, and the leadership in your organization.
My company, Maven Leadership Consulting, is the culmination of a two-decades-long career learning leadership lessons both as an employee and a senior management executive. But I wouldn’t have gotten this far without an eye-opening moment that solidified the importance of self-leadership at the beginning of my career.
A leadership opportunity early in my career woke me up to the power of getting clear on our priorities so we can focus on what matters most without feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
Self-Leadership Practice: Write Your Purpose Statement
Knowing what to say yes to and what to pass on is one of the essential elements of effective self-leadership. But where to begin?
For my corporate clients (and me!), it starts with a purpose statement.
For example, mine is to leave a legacy of empowerment and empathic leadership through my work and instill those values in my children. My purpose doesn’t change if I’m at a soccer tournament or in a boardroom with my colleagues— and that keeps everything in check.
This isn’t balanced. But it’s aligned with my purpose. Do you know what your purpose statement is? Here are examples to give you a starting point:
“To support the health and well-being of our planet and everyone who lives here.”
“To help level the playing field, so everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.”
“To use my gifts to improve the self-worth and wealth of people worldwide.”
The Myth of Work-Life Balance
I recently had the chance to spend quality one-on-one time with my oldest son. We had so much fun at this soccer game that my phone came out only to capture a selfie. Taking time to be present rather than always looking out at the world through a screen is something we can only do if we’re intentional.
Sometimes life can get so busy we forget to mark the moments that make everything we do worthwhile. It got me thinking, how do we acknowledge those moments?
For me, giving pause allows those moments to become motivation and nourishment on rough days.
It often feels like we are always behind. Our dream is to strike the perfect balance between work and family. We’re mis-defining life balance. Doing everything for an equal period isn’t the goal. Nor is doing everything well at the same time.
This season, being a mom and working are the “right things” for me. Even when I am busy and hectic, I can feel confident because I know I am putting my time into the things that matter to me. What is your purpose statement?
The truth is that women who have a successful professional and personal life in harmony have one important thing in common: The ability to lead from a solid internal foundation. That is self-leadership at its finest.
“Having a personal purpose statement can give you direction to accomplish your goals.”
About the author
Heather Wolfson is the CEO and Lead Strategist of Maven Leadership Consulting.
She believes that organizations have the power to build a healthier, more resilient ecosystem through intentional intervention at all levels. With a passion for supporting emerging leaders and a background in making a sustained impact, Heather brings nearly 20 years of senior-level leadership, strategy development, and coaching experience to her work.
