One Word, Dual Meaning 

Definition #1

Usage: Typically used in a broad and very welcoming way, it refers to our members, advocates, and anyone who has affinity with us.

People pick up the term and use it to describe themselves and women they care about. In that context, it refers to cool people who are dedicated to work and home, and who want to be at their best, learn and smile more.

We love how quickly women use the term LeaderMom to describe themselves. We hear comments from leaders whom we have never met at our talks that start like this, “As a LeaderMom, I…” Very cool. These are women who are or who aspire to be producers at work and also hands-on in raising children.

It can be used to describe yourself, whether you are a lawyer in the corporate world with children, or a young professional with no significant other who is percolating on ways to live a full life. It could be you if you run your own business, or run the parent-family organization in your school. You could be a CFO, intern, yoga teacher, chef, or retiree. You may be a leader and mom whose kids are grown or nearly grown, with work and life experience to share. In its broadest reach, this term is not limited by gender. If you are a spouse or uncle who wants to be supportive of your wife, partner, or significant other, and learn to be more engaged at home, it can include you. If you are a productive professional and a caregiver, male or female, who is trying to thrive at work and home, it’s you.

Bottom-Line: If it feels like you, it probably is you. Welcome!

Definition #2 

Usage: This term is used by our research team in a more restricted, mindfully exclusive way to describe the “unit of analysis” (who/what we study) – i.e., our “LeaderMom Panel.”

The panel refers to a select cross-industry group of senior and executive leaders who were identified and nominated by talent professionals based on objective performance data and expert judgment. Those panelists* then completed our surveys and interviews; that data was analyzed by experienced professionals to produce our “LeaderMom Research” reports.

Because this research aims to improve the pipeline of highly qualified women in leadership and to include high-potential leaders who are mothers in that, it requires us to be sticklers. We do that so we can confidently distill and share insights with executives, shareholders and you about people who get results, and about positive forces in shaping culture and engaging teams. The next study will invite members of our previous panels and add more leaders who meet the criteria. (LeaderMoms tend to move, groove, and advance professionally!) 

Bottom line: Keeping this group “exclusive” enables us our research team to offer more powerful insights. We regret if it feels restricted and ask you to trust that we are committed to growing this panel with integrity in terms of research methods and our values. If we do, the findings will have more power for all of us.