25 Reasons why Mothers are Terrific Business Managers
Today is Mother’s Day! We celebrate our mothers who gave birth to us, loved us, cared for us, taught us good values, and always believed in us. While some businesses may be hesitant to hire mothers to management positions, we value moms and we welcome them to partner with our company.
In honor of Mother’s Day, our blog post today reflects on the many benefits that mothers bring to business management. Mom, whether you’re a professional manager, a self-employed consultant, or an entrepreneur, we salute you today!
1. Mothers are thrifty. They are used to shopping on a tight budget and they know how to make a little stretch a long way. In business we call this “getting the most bang for your buck” and it’s a highly desirable skill.
2. Mothers are resourceful. They know how to “use what you have on hand” and invent creative solutions to make things work. They don’t have to run out and buy things because they’re handy with what they have. That’s what will keep a company in business even during a recession.
3. Mothers are conservative. They are always reminding us to turn off the lights, shut the doors, and not be wasteful. Business conservatism on the “expense” side of the balance sheet is to be admired.
4. Mothers always believe in their children. They never, ever give up on their sons and daughters. They always have confidence in their children, are their biggest fans, and always rooting for them to succeed. Every business professional must believe in their company and their team’s skills and their product 100% and always have the confidence that the company will succeed, despite any obstacles.
5. Mothers sacrifice themselves for the good of their family. Mothers place their children’s needs first, take care of their husband’s needs, and spend countless hours helping others. In a large company, servant-leadership is a quality to be admired and sought.
6. Mothers know how to solve sibling disputes. In business, that would be “solve workplace disputes between co-workers.” Which can be very similar to children arguing with each other!
7. Mothers are generous. They are not motivated by greed or by comparing themselves to what others have. They share, collaborate, and build others. By investing in others, they realize that they will also prosper. In today’s business world, the benefits of collaboration are replacing the cut-throat old-school mentality.
8. Mothers nurture organic growth. They are patient with babies learning to eat, toddlers learning to walk and talk. They realize that success takes time and energy. Mothers take the time to build a solid foundation and put each phase into place in the proper order. A business that grows organically and builds on a solid foundation will be successful for many, many years into the future. It will not be easily shaken by economic storms.
9. Mothers organize the schedules for the entire family. They make sure that even with 5 or more children, each person arrives at their destination on time and prepared for the occasion. That’s what every business needs: a person who can balance every task, every project with ease… and get them all completed with her team!
10. Mothers budget the finances for the household. They don’t take their financial stewardship lightly. They realize that everyone is depending on them to properly allocate the finances, get all the bills paid on time, and stay within their means. They know the inflow of the money and where every penny is spent. And mothers are smart enough to tuck away some funds for later, as they realize they will need money for future plans. Can you say “CFO”?
11. Mothers are committed and persevere despite challenges. They don’t run away or bail out when there are problems. They are committed for life. Many a wife has persevered through a rocky marriage, a cheating husband, and rebellious teenagers. But she tenaciously fights for her family and continues to be a positive influence to bring them “up” together. Every business needs a leader who can weather the storms of life and navigate the boat amidst turbulent waters… all while leading the team with a great attitude!
12. Mothers elicit hope. They always look at the positive side and find the benefits. They realize life has disappointments and they know they can’t control everything that happens to their children. But they can help their children adapt to the situation, see the potential benefits, and take action to make the best of their circumstances. Next, they give their daughter or son a big hug, a kiss, and say “I love you no matter what.” Mothers are encouraging and they always give hope. A great business leader always inspires her team to achieve their best, and uses hope as a motivator to keep persevering. Companies can’t always control the economy, the market, lawsuits, or other outside factors, but they can encourage and inspire others by showing them how to benefit regardless of their circumstance.
13. Mothers know when to lead and when to follow. A good leader must first learn to be a good follower. Mothers know how to follow their husband’s leadership, and how to be positive influence in his decision-making process, without being the leader. They also know how to be the leader when the situation requires it. In business, all leaders are accountable to someone. Even the CEO is accountable to the Board of Directors, and must follow their directions. A great manager know to lead, but also knows when and how to follow.
14. Mothers are great negotiators. They know how to set rewards within reach so children are motivated to earn them. For example, dessert is often the secret weapon to get kids to eat their vegetables. A great business negotiator will always be at the top of her company.
15. Mothers are gracious. They say “Thank You” because they respect and appreciate others. They are humble enough to say “I’m Sorry” and “Please Forgive Me”. They never take people for granted. Mothers value others and lift the spirits of others. As a business leader, her team will be motivated to participate if they are recognized, valued, and appreciated.
16. Mothers multi-task. They can do 3 things at a time. They know how to juggle 7 projects on the schedule at once. Managing multiple tasks simultaneously is a natural God-given skill for mothers. A business that has a multi-prong attack strategy will be much stronger with a leader who’s ready to manage multiple fronts.
17. Mothers always know what you’re doing. They seem to know when their children are struggling or when they’ve gotten into trouble. Sometimes it seems like mothers have “eyes in the back of their head”. It’s often referred to as a “mother’s intuition”. Wouldn’t it be great to have a leader with that kind of intuition about your products, your company, and most importantly, your competitors? She would have a suspicion that they were up to something, before anyone else knew about it.
18. Mothers know how to delegate. They are smart enough to realize that they can’t do everything, so they take the time to teach their “little helpers”. Once their helpers are trained, mothers delegate tasks to each of them at the appropriate level. Mothers can get an entire house cleaned in only 2 hours with their crew of helpers. In your company, you can get complex, time-consuming tasks quickly by selecting a task leader who can train a team and delegate to them.
19. Mothers prioritize. They understand their time and energy and funds are limited. They realize they must complete the most important tasks first. Just like a mother, a great business leader has routines and systems in place to make sure the important things are done first.
20. Mothers prevent mistakes. It may seem like they are repetitive, but that’s only because they don’t want their children to “bump their heads” making the same mistake twice. Women business managers have been known to write internal warning letters to prevent large company mistakes. They have a conscious and put their colleagues “in check” by requiring accountability.
21. Mothers fix accidents. When a spill happens, they always have a towel and a band-aid ready. They don’t blink or get upset. They don’t think twice. They are in the habit of cleaning up accidents and they are always ready. At your business, it’s great to have someone who knows that everything isn’t going to go as planned, and she has a “Plan B” ready just in case.
22. Mothers are thankful. They never take their situation for granted. They know it’s only by the grace of God that their children are healthy and happy and thriving. They realize that some other mothers have lost their children through tragedies, and they appreciate their children waking up happy and enjoying every day. No matter what line of business you’re in, an attitude of gratitude goes a long way. It can help minimize the trivial things and focus on the big picture.
23. Mothers are a good example of morals and values. They have integrity and honesty. They take the high road in all situations to do things correctly. Mothers are always teaching their children to do the right thing and not to be selfish. In business, they are concerned about first doing the right thing, and then profits. They realize that if they have integrity first, the profits will pour in naturally.
24. Mothers are teachers. They are constantly teaching their children how to do things, and in fact, teaching is a built-in part of everyday life. As babies grow into toddlers, then children, then teens, they are constantly in the learning mode so mothers are naturally teaching them everything about life. Every company needs great teachers, whether they are called mentors, coaches, or leaders.
25. Mothers never stop praying. They are known to be on their knees praying constantly for those they love. Whether you’re a child or a business owner, isn’t it wonderful to have a great prayer warrior interceding on your behalf! You know that someone who cares deeply about you will never stop “going to bat” for you.
~ Regina P. Brown
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