Beth Newton is an award-winning marketer, social media strategist, and author.She is also the co-founder and CEO of alpha bravo.
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Being a parent is the essence of who I am as a professional and leader. I have raised 3 children as a single parent for her 10 years. Let me tell you one thing. As a single mother, you have to do things differently. I have found the same tactics to be instrumental in my career success.
Here are five single parent lessons that lead to professional leadership.
Leadership Lesson #1: Empowering others is good for them and good for you
After my divorce, my eldest son (9 years old at the time) walked around the house at night to make sure all the doors were locked. I was busting my butt to make sure I wasn’t having a different experience.
I’ve seen many small business owners bust their butts while their employees are waiting for their assigned jobs, offering help and being told they can’t Yes, training takes time. Of course, they may train differently, but if you want your business to grow and your team to succeed, you need to let go a little bit and trust the people you hire. Empower them to take on tasks so they can spend.
Leadership Lesson #2: Celebrate Small Successes
Not always everything goes according to plan. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t work at all. fine. Pick yourself up, learn something, and move on to the next task. As a single parent, I have learned to find joy in small victories. For example, when children sit down to dinner without fighting, do chores without being asked, or tell them about their day.
Give space and credit for all achievements, not just “get big customers”. Clearing to-do lists, sending procrastinating emails, filing quarterly taxes on time, and taking an actual lunch break are all wins too. A colleague recently gave me the idea for a “ta-da” list. Instead of making a long to-do list at the beginning of the week, try making a “done” list at the end of the week of all the things you’ve accomplished. Helps keep you in perspective.
Leadership Lesson #3: Cut Your Losses
Remember to take breaks every now and then while you’re working on it. As a single mom, I learned quickly that I’m not going to win every battle. It may be forgotten and the room may not be cleaned.
You will face losses in your career as well. Some are small, some are important. At one point, I partnered with another agency I admired, but less than a year later, I had to admit it wasn’t working. Worse, I had to admit it to the client. However, the loss is that they turn into lessons. So if you lose a client or send a creative file with typos, it sucks. Take a mental note, make a plan to prevent it from happening again, and move on.
I once sat across from a trusted mentor to share a personal thing I’ve struggled with over the years. He leaned forward, stared into my eyes, raised his right hand, pinched his thumb and forefinger together, as if grasping the string of a balloon. And slowly let his finger go from his thumb. let me this. go. You have work to do!
Leadership Lesson #4: Stay Out of the Game
Going through a contentious divorce can bring scrappies to anyone. I know this for sure. But I also know for sure that my children needed another parent. What we experienced had nothing to do with them. In fact, when kids are together, they’re tied together, not just for 18 years. Agency-client relationships most of the time he doesn’t last 18 years, but burning bridges tends to be bad business.
The world is a small place, and social media and technology have made it even smaller. Employees change roles and companies, assistants become executives, and new competitors appear all the time. If you have to quit your job, fire an employee, or do some other unpleasant job, put away your matches and do it gracefully. I promise you will be better for it. The bottom line: When circumstances bring the worst to you, remember your best self and your best self.
Leadership Lesson #5: Conventional wisdom is an abomination
There are many books on parenting and business leadership, but no perfect formula. Maybe my kids and I should have been at the dinner table every night as a family. Maybe I shouldn’t have let my little ones sleep with me. , when I had to wear a tie for the first all-school Mass, I queued up a YouTube video for step-by-step instructions. We blasted our favorite rap tunes over and over until we could sing every word. I found a special piece for her to wear. When I wanted time with each of them, we went out for a drive.
Unconventional Wisdom is pretty much how I raised them. We had a certain method. My kids and I talk some, very little. I made something with 4 people. It was messy and sometimes painful, but it was ours. Make it yours, and if you are as proud of it as I am for my children, you must succeed.
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