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PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Dr. Demica Sanders
Director of Professional Learning CLAS
Leadership Lessons My Mother Taught Me As I author this article, it is Mother’s Day weekend and the first Mother’s Day since I lost my mother a few short months ago. I received a beautiful card today from one of my sorority sisters who reminded me of the importance of reflecting on all the wonderful Mother’s Day holidays that I shared with her. My mother taught me so many lessons growing up, so today, I am honoring my mother and all the mothers reading this article by sharing some of those lessons! Maria Shriver reminds us that “really good mothers make good leaders because they nurture, they build a solid team, they see your potential, and they build on your strengths, not your fears. They inspire you; they guide you and they ask of you. Plus, they are really strong and should not be messed with.” When I was a young child, amazing women surrounded me! My mother, grandmother, aunts and neighbors (the village) all instilled things that made me the woman that I am today. Those lessons that I learned as a young child, I still carry them in my personal and professional life. Growing up and growing into my own sense of leadership was often difficult for me because I did not always heed the advice of the wise women that I encountered on this journey. Lucky for me, they always believed in me!
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These leadership lessons learned from mothers can be put into practice as you lead your organization. Good mothers (leaders) build a solid team: To accomplish anything in life, you need a cohesive team around you. In both my personal and professional life, I learned very quickly that I needed a supportive team to get the job done. Like mothers, “effective leaders facilitate teamwork by encouraging cooperation among people and departments” (Lewis, n.d., para 3). Whether it is planning who is going to pick up a child from band practice or planning a major summer convention, it requires everyone on the team working together to achieve the mission! Good mothers (leaders) see your potential, and build on your strengths, not your fears: As a child, I often stayed in trouble because I had a smart mouth (imagine that!). I often stayed in trouble because I would often mumble under my breath. Even when I did this, my mother would chastise me as only she could and remind me that I was going to achieve greatness because I was not afraid to speak up for things, I believe in. A mother is your biggest cheerleader, advocate, and supporter. Those who are in Spring Issue 2022
