women make great leaders….duh

I read a few things recently about a topic I have been preaching for years, motherhood is something that should be highlighted loud and clear on your resume.  Parenting skills are totally transferable to a working environment.  

A woman who has decided to get off the train for a few years to raise her child should feel confident in the fact that what she has done for the last few years is management worthy.  Like anything, it is all about how you tell the story.  Here is the story for most mothers.  They manage a household which may include paying the bills and balancing the budget.  They make sure the house is stocked with food and that everyone gets fed.  They make sure all the kids are bathed and clothed.  They make sure that the kids are taken to their activities, on time.  They juggle multiple balls through out the day generally putting their kids ahead of their own happiness.  If they have more than one kid, they create a team environment while hopefully giving constant reinforcement.  And to top it all off, they do this mostly sleep deprived and many ask themselves the question….aren't I supposed to be enjoying this?

Many of these skills are maternal and they come from within.  We care about creating an healthy happy environment for our kids who will come out on the other end being independent and feeling confident in themselves.  Sound like a work place?  

As women seem to be the most talked about gender these days in more than just the tech industry because they are creating their own paths as entrepreneurs and doing it their way to own their own lives, there is an entire workforce out there that wants to come back.  There has been a brain suck from the economy as women have chosen to stay home and are having a hard time re-entering.  They shouldn't.  There is something to be said for age and experience particularly if you have been managing the lives of a household for years.

I have met with a few women recently who are interesting in angel investing.  Some of them have had their own companies and a few of them have been home for awhile.  Each of them said that they knew nothing about investing and the companies that we talked about.  I wanted to prove them otherwise.  As soon as we began talking about each individual company they got it, they understood the value, their brains started churning about the endless possibilities.  They felt empowered.

So for all you women out there trying to figure out how to get back on the train.  At least get on.  Find an area you are passionate about, do some digging and see what is available on how you can return on your own terms.