Recently, I sat in a room with other moms as we were asked if we carry an invisible load of family leadership that is, at times, almost too much to bear.
I cannot tell you how validating it was when every hand in the room was raised.
Motherhood feels lonely at times, because moms play a unique role in our families. Motherhood is leadership without the title or pay. We’re not just “busy moms” feeling overwhelmed – we’re leaders without a support team.
Moms are typically the head of the household when it comes to planning, noticing, delegating and holding all of the details together. In the workplace, leaders are supported by systems and a staff – but moms out in the wild are often struggling to bear much of the entire load on our own.
That’s why I’m so glad there is Chief of Mom Life – a way to help moms think differently about how we lead our lives and families, with practical tools, systems and community to support more intentional leadership. In the words of this new organization, “Motherhood Has Always Been Leadership. We Just Never Called It That.” That really resonates for me!
I got to attend the Mom Life workshop on Everyday Systems earlier this month. Eight women sat in a charming room at Celestielle bookshop in Worthington to talk about motherhood, leadership and the systems that make it all possible.
We all use systems to make our lives easier and get things done, but we might not call it that. Do you have a weekly habit of meal planning, a family chore chart or shared calendar tools that you use to keep your family on track? Those are examples of the family systems – usually initiated and managed by moms – that help lighten the load just a bit.
I truly enjoyed the opportunity to think about motherhood differently, to acknowledge the leadership role inherent in being a mom, and to think about new systems we can put in place to help with our day-to-day life. Most of all, I appreciated getting to share this experience with other moms going through the same thing. Wherever we were in our lives – whether moms to young kids, tweens or teens – we all appreciated the time to develop additional systems to help ease our day-to-day burdens.
It’s no wonder moms are struggling and can use some support. The Mom Life Leadership Survey examined mental load, clarity, systems, identity, intentionality and the largely invisible leadership required to make family life work. Some of the findings from the group’s first survey of 247 moms include:
- 81% of moms mostly keep track of household details
- 74% are not very clear on what matters most right now
- 49% feel a strong disconnection from themselves
- Only 13% describe Mom Life as mostly intentional
It can be incredibly difficult to thrive in a leadership role without support. Chief of Mom Life was created to give moms the systems, team and community they need to lighten their loads and lead their families with focus and intention. I am so, so impressed with this organization and look forward to learning more at future events.
If you’re interested in participating in a Mom Life workshop, you can view their upcoming events on their website. I recommend following them on social media, reading through their blog and signing up for an upcoming event. There is also a membership option to fully immerse yourself with a cohort of other moms going through the program for even more accountability and structure.
Have you ever stopped to consider that motherhood is leadership? I never had before hearing about Chief of Mom Life – and now that I have, I want to continue learning how to make these concepts work for me.
What are your thoughts on motherhood as leadership? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below or over on Facebook or Instagram.
Disclaimer: we were generously provided with a free workshop from Chief of Mom Life. That said, all opinions are my own and this experience rocked. Motherhood really IS leadership, and leaders need support!
