How to turn leave into leadership
In this month’s Thrivival 101 episode, we spoke with Lori Mihalich-Levin and Arianna Taboada about the various ways that becoming a parent impacts us and our careers, and most importantly how our careers can in fact be enhanced by parenthood.
When I took Lori’s Mindful Return course during my own return to work after having my son, I remember being really struck by this idea that we can actually turn leave into leadership. And it’s a concept that has stuck with me ever since.
So what does turning ‘leave into leadership’ look like?
I think it can be lots of things:
- Not apologizing for taking time off (whether as a mother or a father) for child-rearing purposes
- Not questioning others for taking time off (whether as a mother or a father) for child-tearing purposes
- Role modelling and normalizing putting limits on time spent on work-related activities outside of typical work hours
- Talking with colleagues about ways to intentionally plan for and return from a parental leave
- Not assuming that you know how a new parent colleague wants their return from leave to unfold - maybe they want to take things slow, and maybe they don’t. Either path is justified, and can be beneficial, especially when intentionally chosen.
- Creating a supportive environment that allows for discussion and normalizing of parenting challenges - even/especially if you are a child therapist and feel you ‘should’ know these things! (Kids don’t care that their parents have degrees!)
- Reminding yourself and others that being a parent fosters so many valuable skills that are transferable to the workplace - including delegation, empathy, prioritization, conflict resolution, and many more
- Giving yourself grace if/when transitioning back to work after leave doesn’t go as smoothly as desired!
As Lori shared in our podcast discussion, returning from leave is a PROCESS not a one-time event. The more we can see the experience as something that shifts and grows with time, the more we can best support ourselves and friends and colleagues in thriving as working parents.
We would love to know: How have you turned leave into leadership?
What is one small thing you could do going forward to best support your own or colleagues’ ability to trust in the benefits of being a parent at work?