According to the book ‘Emotional Intelligence 2.0’ by Travis Bradberry, the emotional intelligence of mothers is a soft skill that cannot be taught but is highly desired in the workplace and in our personal lives.
According to Bradberry, “Decades of research now point to emotional intelligence as being the critical factor that sets star performers apart from the rest of the pack. The connection is so strong that 90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence.”
Women who choose to become mothers may exercise their social and emotional intelligence abilities more than non-mothers and men, making them well-positioned to take on leadership roles that rely heavily on these skills. Here at DeeBees Organics, we love Moms and value their incredible contributions to their families, workplaces and communities!
Crossover Skills Between Motherhood and Strong Leaders
Great leadership starts with a ‘lead by example’ model. While it might be challenging to execute in practice, in theory, the skill sets needed to lead aren’t a secret sauce. High emotional intelligence, empathy, listening skills, and a desire to lift a team up are all qualities paramount for creating strong leadership skills.
In motherhood, women flex these skillset muscles more than they might have otherwise, and like all skills, practice often makes perfect. Motherhood requires selflessness and an innate desire to watch another (in this case, your little one) succeed in life’s little and big challenges. This perspective shift from oneself to another is integral for the mindset of a great leader.
However, these transferable skills don’t necessarily mean women who choose to be mothers must take a maternal-like leadership role in everything they do. The skills required to be a mother and great leader are often interchangeable. Both can be moulded to fit the circumstance, whether that requires being attuned to your child’s basic needs or being responsible for establishing a strong team culture. Those goals and skill sets required are the same.
Our Story (We’re Moms!)
For an excellent example of this skill set transition from motherhood to leadership, our team doesn’t have to look farther than our founder, Dr. Dionne Laslo-Baker. Dr. Dionne Laslo-Baker is a Ph.D. medical researcher in the field of maternal-fetal toxicology. Her lifelong mission has been to find healthy foods for her and her family, and part of this mission was creating DeeBee’s Organics. Our founding principles are to feed families healthy and organic food, do business differently, and create a legacy for future generations.
While Dr. Dionne’s background might be scientific, the spark to create DeeBee’s Organics didn’t come until she became a mother. “This simple idea sparked so much inside me when I realized, as a Mom and a Ph.D. Medical Scientist, there weren’t enough healthy, organic snacks in the stores free from chemicals, toxins or preservatives,” she says. “I had a ‘eureka’ moment and understood the reason why I spent all those years studying the effects of chemicals and toxins on child development – to create a company dedicated to providing every family healthy, clean-label, and organic treats to enjoy together.”
The strong connection between motherhood and the soft skills required to be a good leader is pretty clear to us!
