Wola Joseph-Condotti 
We do not often see “motherhood” and “executive leadership” in the same sentence. One is framed as personal, emotional, even sacrificial. The other, as strategic, tough, results-driven. But in my experience (as a CEO and a mother of five) motherhood has been the most rigorous and transformational leadership training of my life.
Forget the boardroom. The living room will teach you diplomacy. Forget strategy retreats. Managing a household under pressure will teach you resilience. Forget executive coaching. Raising humans will humble, stretch, and sharpen you in ways no MBA can.
We need to reframe motherhood. Not as a professional liability, but as a leadership incubator.
The Decision Fatigue is Real
Any mother will tell you (especially those juggling board meetings and baby bottles) that the volume of daily decisions is staggering. From big-picture issues like schooling, health care, manners, and values, to minute-by-minute questions like who eats what for lunch, who needs emotional support, or who is suddenly allergic to their uniform.
This daily stream of decisions cultivates one of the most important executive muscles: discernment. When you are a mother, you learn quickly that not every fire is worth fighting. You prioritise. You triage. You delegate. You decide, constantly.
In my professional life, I have seen how this translates into better crisis management, sharper strategic focus, and a deeper sensitivity to the human dynamics in leadership. Motherhood trained my instincts, and instincts are underrated in boardrooms.
Conflict Resolution at Its Finest
There is no HR manual for resolving fights between siblings with toy missiles and emotional landmines. Yet mothers do this daily. We listen to half-truths, balance fairness with firmness, and hand out consequences that do not fracture the relationship long-term.
Does that sound familiar to workplace leadership? It should.
I have mediated between warring department heads with the same calm and clarity I learned from resolving a battle over who got the blue crayon first. The settings may differ, but the skills are parallel: empathy, fairness, active listening, and the ability to calm chaos without suppressing voice.
Humility, Patience, and Letting Go of Perfection
Motherhood constantly reminds me: I am not in control of everything. Not every plan will be executed. Not every day will be perfect. Some days, success is simply that everyone survived and was fed.
This humility (rooted in love and laced with grace) helps me lead my teams with realism, kindness, and perspective. I have learned to celebrate progress, not just perfection. To extend compassion when deadlines are missed, because I know what it feels like to run on empty.
A Masterclass in Long-Term Vision
Motherhood is not about immediate ROI. It is about legacy. It is about planting values, affirming identity, and shaping destinies. You will not always see the results right away. But over time, you see growth, maturity, alignment. And that is the mark of excellent leadership: doing today what sets others up for long-term greatness.
The same applies in the workplace. As a leader, my goal is not just to deliver quarterly results. It is to develop people. To steward purpose. To create systems that will outlast my tenure.
God’s Gift, Not a Gap
Too many working mothers feel the need to hide, apologize for, or downplay their parenting in professional spaces as though being a mother somehow makes us less of a leader.
But I believe it makes us more.
In Scripture, Deborah was both a prophetess and a judge, spiritual and national leader. But she was also described as a “mother in Israel.” Her leadership was maternal, wise, and strong. She led not with ego but with insight and conviction. And under her, Israel experienced peace for forty years (Judges 4–5).
That is not a gap. That is a gift.
Final Thoughts
Motherhood has made me a better CEO. A more discerning leader. A more compassionate mentor. A more strategic visionary. It did not slow me down. It refined me.
To every woman doing business deals after bedtime stories, who is drafting board memos while packing lunchboxes: you are not doing two jobs. You are doing one calling expressed in two realms.
You are not torn. You are being trained. And your leadership is richer for it.
Wola Joseph-Condotti is the Group Managing Director/CEO of West Power & Gas Limited. A Harvard-trained lawyer and passionate advocate for faith-driven leadership, gender equity, and energy transition in Africa, she writes from the intersection of power, purpose, and personal growth.