Intersection of motherhood and leadership: study

Women’s experiences of navigating leadership roles and motherhood are highlighted in a report released this month by Dr Amanda Sterling from the University of Auckland Business School.

The report draws on Sterling’s doctoral research, which investigates the experiences of 48 women in leadership roles at some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most prominent corporate companies, as well as smaller-scale start-ups and community-based organisations.

Their experiences of being pregnant, giving birth, breastfeeding, caring for their children and the strategies they use to manage these experiences, alongside their roles in the workplace, were examined.

Sterling found that pregnant women and new mothers often encountered leadership norms that they weren’t able to fit into.

“These women were mainly seeing men, or women without children, in the leadership roles above and around them. They were also hearing how other women in leadership, especially mothers, were spoken about. All of this created an expectation that, to be a leader, they needed to perform as if nothing was going on with their bodies, hide their experiences, or go to additional lengths to prove that they were just as capable.

“The research shows that the experiences of pregnant women and mothers within leadership need to be recognised and actively supported. This could lead to better outcomes for women and the organisations that employ them.”

Sterling also undertook a literature review and found that motherhood was one of the main reasons women are still underrepresented in leadership positions.

“Research shows us that motherhood is still the most significant dropping-off point for women in leadership. Therefore, if organisations want more female leaders and wish to be truly inclusive, they need to properly understand and really support the experiences of mothers within those higher-pressure leadership roles.

She says that despite some great and well-intentioned work focused on pathways for women into leadership, women's experiences of pregnancy, breastfeeding and other elements of motherhood have been a real blind spot for businesses.

“I’m hopeful that my research will create change in the system so that more women can not only stay, but flourish in leadership roles,” says Dr Sterling.