Leadership lessons from Motherhood

Previously, I have talked about different communication and leadership styles, but today I would like to focus specifically on “maternalistic leadership” as opposed to “paternalistic leadership.".

However, I want to be clear that different leadership styles have very little to do with gender. You can get male leaders who exhibit very maternal leadership styles and female leaders who exhibit very paternalistic styles of leadership.

Paternalistic leadership can be characterized by a dominant authoritarian leader who plays the role of a patriarch and treats organization members as partners or members of a big family. They require loyalty, trust, and obedience, which can be different from earning them in a maternalistic style. There is often no room for consensus; the development and nurturing of the members of the organization is regarded as secondary. Often, there is a very transactional nature to business operations, and a win-at-all costs or gung-ho atmosphere pervades the organization. The current environmental crisis is directly caused by a paternalistic approach to life and the environment. An emphasis is placed on survival and getting things done rather than nurturing a safe and sustainable organization (and PLANET) for the long term!

The catchphrase for this type of leadership style is often: Because I said so!

Women are generally naturally maternalistic, which makes them archetypes for this leadership style. If you were to ask, “What makes a successful leader and what…