Ode to Mothers in Leadership: Redefining Strength, Value, and Trust
Motherhood is a huge transformation. Yet so often in our modern, fast-paced, and performance-driven workplaces, it’s viewed as a detour or a burden rather than the leadership superpower it truly is.
Today, I want to talk about how we can reframe matrescence, the transition into and through motherhood, as a catalyst for leadership growth and personal evolution.
I’ve spent the last few years coaching career-driven mothers (and increasingly, supportive fathers) through the complexities of balancing professional ambitions with the equally demanding and rewarding role of parenting. One truth stands out: the skills and strengths we develop as parents, clarity, resilience, empathy, perspective, prioritisation, are exactly the same qualities organisations seek in their top leaders.
No More Superwoman Syndrome
We live in a world that often celebrates the “Superwoman,” the mother who does it all, flawlessly, and without pause, always calm, always present. But let’s be really really honest: that’s not sustainable, or even desirable. In my coaching practice, I help my clients break up with that outdated narrative. We work on redefining strength to include vulnerability, rest, asking for help, and showing up authentically.
Strength, in this context, isn’t about doing everything perfectly, it’s about leading with compassion and self-awareness. When we value ourselves differently, as mothers, leaders, partners, and women, we unlock a new level of confidence and clarity that no leadership training course alone can provide.
Valuing Motherhood Differently
It’s time to challenge the narrative that motherhood is an obstacle to leadership. In fact, motherhood can be your greatest teacher. It forces us to let go of perfectionism, to prioritise what truly matters, and to develop a more nuanced, holistic understanding of human experience. In other words, it’s the best leadership development program you’ll ever attend.
Yet too often, workplaces overlook or even penalise the very strengths motherhood cultivates. That’s why I created my Just Matrescence® Leadership Group Coaching Circle, a safe, supportive space where mothers in leadership can share, learn, and grow, together. Regardless of what stage of matrescence you are, this is your chance to take that rite of passage that was missed on your motherhood journey.
In this circle, we:
Break free from outdated expectations of the "Good Mother" and "Successful Woman". Cultivate self-worth beyond productivity and income.
Honour the emotional journey of matrescence with compassion and grounded confidence.
Develop leadership superpowers that are deeply rooted in authenticity and empathy
It’s not about becoming someone new, and it’s definitely not about going back to who you were before. It’s about fully owning who you’ve become through this rite of passage.
Trusting the Journey
Matrescence is also a spiritual awakening. Yes, I’ve said it. This was something I learned from the incredible Amy Taylor-Kabbaz at the Mama Rising coaching program. And as uneasy as I felt saying it out loud at first, it’s rolling off my tongue now. Matrescence is a spiritual transformation.
It invites us to trust ourselves, trust the process, and trust that our transformation is leading us exactly where we’re meant to go, even when the path is messy or unclear. Trusting ourselves means letting go of self-silencing, of the cultural narratives that keep us small.
One of the tools I’ve developed to support this journey for my clients is the Just Matrescence® Leadership Assessment. It’s a reflective tool designed to help you understand where you are in your own matrescence journey and identify the leadership strengths that are ready to emerge.
It’s not just accepting being "good enough"; it’s about understanding, valuing, and trusting the unique qualities and strengths motherhood has given you.
Standing Between Opposites
To deepen this exploration, I’m also inspired by Sidra Stone’s The Shadow King: The Invisible Force That Holds Women Back. This was one of the many materials we learned about on the Mama Rising course and having just finished reading it, I see it first of all, as a beautifully written book. But I can also see the transformational power in it - I see how it can be used to support a stronger relationship in a couple. And a better understanding of our own triggers and inner critics.
Sidra invites us to “stand between opposites, between the power of the selves in us that carry the traditionally masculine qualities and values and those that carry the traditionally feminine ones”.
Stone’s wisdom beautifully complements our matrescence work. It gives us an understanding that a woman can balance opposites, femininity, and traditional masculine power, as she sees fit, moving through life with conscious choice rather than limitation. This isn’t about choosing one side, it’s about being the whole.
So many of my female clients have had to lean into the traditionally masculine energy of achievement, productivity, results (when I say masculine, I’m not talking about human gender, I’m really talking about the energy). And these same women have been so out of touch with their feminine energy for so long that when motherhood pulls them right and deep into the feminine energy of caring, empathy, patience, and slowing down, it feels odd and alien. And it also can make them wonder how to reconcile these two parts, these different sets of energies and values.
Let’s Write a New Story Together
The beauty of this knowledge is that it is possible to blend the two energies and bring this new balanced version of you into the world. We can change the way we show up, the way we lead, the way we parent if we embrace this new whole identity instead of contuing to wonder and feel "off".
We can start with ourselves and then extend this balance out into our families, our teams, and our workplaces.
If you’re ready to:
Redefine your leadership journey through the lens of matrescence
Break free from outdated expectations of both motherhood and leadership
Celebrate the profound transformation that motherhood brings and the superpowers you now have in this season of life…
…I invite you to join me in the Just Matrescence® Leadership Group Coaching Circle or take the Just Matrescence® Leadership Assessment today. Together, we can create a world where parenthood is recognised as the leadership superpower it truly is.
Book a discovery call today, let’s begin this journey together.
With warmth and belief in your journey,
Eve Ostrovskaya ICF Certified Leadership & Matrescence Coach Founder, Working Parent Coaching