# Leadership Lessons From Mom

Source: https://dairycoach.com/leadership-lessons-from-mom/
Published: 2012-05-15
Author: Tom Wall

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When you hear business people use the term “servant leadership”, who do you think of first? I bet you probably don’t think of Moms as servant leaders. But, who better in our lives would you say lead by serving others?

Although you’ve most likely never thought of your mom as a leader in the ‘formal’ sense, her role of developing, encouraging, and supporting her children is exactly that, leadership. No, your mom didn’t actively seek out a leadership role when having kids. Her style was more subtle than that. No politics or games, just a sincere desire to see her kids succeed and be happy. Moms work hard and make countless sacrifices in order to keep their family on track. They’re motivated to simply help their kids make a meaningful contribution in whatever they choose to do. And when moms eventually see this simple goal become a reality, it turns out their journey is its own reward.

So what can you do to be more like ‘Mom’? Ask yourself a few questions… How well are you supporting and developing the people that you’re responsible for leading? Are you dedicated to teaching and encouraging the people that look to you for guidance? Or do you simply expect them to do what “they’re supposed to do” with little or no direction and supervision?

An easy place to start is to simply pay more attention to what’s really going on every day. Take fifteen minutes to check in with your team a few times a day to see who’s doing their work correctly and who isn’t. Just as it’s important to catch people who cut corners, it’s equally important to catch the others when they’re doing things right. Another easy way to be a servant leader is by making sure your team has everything they need to do their work. When they tell you that something’s missing or broken, get it fixed… not in a month, but within three days.

Of course, servant leadership is more than just checking if stalls are clean and getting supplies at Fleet Farm. At its core, servant leadership requires that you sincerely and genuinely care about helping and supporting the people that you’re leading. Servant leadership, like motherhood, is a commitment that requires time, sacrifice, and doing more than what’s expected.

Whether you’re fortunate to still have your mom around or blessed to simply carry her memory with you, take a little time to reflect on all the leadership lessons she taught you by example. Your mom worked hard and sacrificed more than you can ever imagine to help get you where you are today. So do you mom a favor… pay it forward.

And to all you hard-working, servant leaders we call ‘Mom’… thank you for all that you do. Happy Belated Mother’s Day.