• Can You Be a Good Boss and a Good Mother?

    Women account for just 5% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies. You’ve probably heard or read that stat before. Although people have different theories about why more women don’t make it “to the top,” one woman argues it’s because women are smarter.

    “Women are smarter than men,” said Barbara Corcoran, who build a $70 million real estate business. “They get to a point and think, ‘Is this worth it?’ The resounding answer is no, and they check out.”

    Those who do reach the top have a difficult path every step of the way, fighting gender inequality and sexism, pushing through the glass ceiling, negotiating the pay they deserve. When you finally reach the corner office, many women must weigh the responsibilities of being a mother with being the boss.

    Can you be the one to leave the office early to get the sick kid from school? Does that mean skipping the team meeting or the presentation to the huge potential client? Despite the many strides we’ve made in equality, women are still more likely to be the main caregivers for a child and still do more housework than men.

    The Type A personality woman who makes it to the top may have a husband who matches. When push comes to shove, which of them ends up leaving the office?

    Corcoran, of Shark Tank fame, put it this way: “I wanted to be a 150 percent entrepreneur and a 150 percent mom, and I found that I was having a very hard time doing both. I was about 75 percent and 75 percent–still better than 100 percent, but not what I was accustomed to at work.”

    She wanted to be more at work, which is why she mentioned committing time to her business over the needs of her children at times. Mothers out there can probably guess the guilt that comes along with it. Of course, every woman must figure out what’s most important to her and how to divide her time. But sometimes, being a good mom might mean setting a good example by being a good boss.

    In a recent interview with Oprah, Shonda Rhimes admits that, saying “yes” to certain opportunities, it has meant her saying “no” to many moments in her children’s lives, but she feels women should give themselves permission to feel that guilt. Rhimes doesn’t believe it’s possible to have it all and acknowledges that there are many trade-offs in balancing career and family. However, she feels that the example she is setting to her daughters of being a powerful woman and being able to earn a living is more valuable..

    As Corcoran put it: “What would your daughter think? Is she going to be proud of you if she reads this oh poor me email? Get the heck up!’”

    What do you think of this spiky subject?

     

    Posted on May 11, 2016 by in Inspirational Articles

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