This week’s leadership message comes from Sarah Smith, Associate Director for Improving Population Health at West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

Hello, my name is Sarah and I’m the Associate Director for Improving Population Health at West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership. In addition to my role at work, I have another important job of mum to three young children Scarlett, Max and Heidi. Since returning from maternity leave recently, the question I get asked most days is “How do you do it?” The honest answer is - I don’t know! But it has got me thinking so I thought I would share my reflections.

I’ve always been very open about my family life at work and I’m proud of being a mother and I think it’s the most important job I’ll ever have. But the question remains, how do you do it? How do you successfully balance being a mum with being a leader in the NHS? Despite my husband also being in a leadership role in the NHS and being a hands-on dad, this is something he has never been asked following our latest addition to the family. So what is it about working mothers that is different?

Starting with maternity leave, I chose to take the full year off work, so it was very visible that I was absent from the workplace for a considerable period. For those of us fortunate to be able to take the full 12 months the thought of returning to work can be daunting. Thoughts like “will I remember what I am doing?” coupled with “how will I get all the kids out of the house on time?” played on my mind. This time I was fortunate to have the previous two return to works to give me the confidence that aspect would work itself out. 

But I’ll be honest though, returning to work this time has felt different, there was no gradual easing in. The organisation I work for formally changed whilst I was on leave, I have new members in my team, and I returned in the middle of a review where significant reductions in running costs need to be made. This is also my first baby since qualifying as a Consultant in Public Health, so my work responsibilities have grown significantly alongside my caring responsibilities. I have a large team and programme to lead alongside a large family. My mum guilt for leaving the children was coupled with the guilt of leaving my team for the last 12 months. My resilience has been tested and this is exacerbated with the mental load of juggling things like school holiday childcare plans and sleepless nights alongside a busy work schedule.

Women are more likely to return to work part time after having children than our male counterparts. For me, working part time again has raised issues for me internally around visibility and how I can adapt my role to continue to deliver outputs in fewer working hours.  I am fortunate though to be surrounded by a very understanding and supportive team. We have grown a culture where we support each other and together, we have been able to make things work.  I don’t feel being a mother detracts from what I can offer the team and I have been fortunate that they feel the same.

But the question remains, what is our perception of mothers of young children in leadership roles? People certainly seem perplexed at my attempts to balance the two elements simultaneously.

Some of the best leaders I have worked with seamlessly balance motherhood and senior leadership roles. Seeing them as role models has certainly given me the confidence that being a mother and a good leader in the NHS is possible.  Motherhood and leadership can be a symbiotic relationship.

So, what is it that you can take from motherhood that enhances your toolkit as a leader? Some personal reflections from my journey spring to mind.

Firstly, managing competing demands, by default you have to become more organised and with that comes a conscious decision about making the best use of the limited time you have at work. The time I have at work and at home is precious, so I have become more efficient with it.

Secondly, I have gained direct service user experience from areas of the health and care system. Over the last year I have personal experience of maternity services, health visitors, childhood immunisations, paediatric urgent care, paediatric dentistry and we are about to embark on an autism/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis pathway for Max. All of these areas of the system I wouldn’t have otherwise had direct contact with, but these are experiences I can now draw on in my leadership role.

Thirdly, reflective practice. Seeing your own attributes in your children gives you an insight into your leadership style. Whether that is Scarlett’s fierce independence, Max’s number obsession or Heidi’s sense of humour. You gain a real-world perspective into some of your personality traits and how these are received by others. You also get honest feedback from your children, whether you ask for it or not, and some of their insights can be helpful in your leadership development.

Finally, compassion. I see the nurturing side of being a mum spilling over into my leadership role.  Spending time with young children requires patience and strategies such as gentle parenting align well with compassionate approaches to leadership.

So, what can we do to support mothers of young children to thrive in leadership roles in the NHS? From my perspective there are several things that can help.

• Take an asset-based approach. Let’s recognise and celebrate the unique attributes parents develop while raising young children and encourage individuals to recognise them in themselves
• Facilitate part time working through flexibility in working patterns and focus on the outputs of work rather than hours spent at work
• Be kind and compassionate, be mindful of the mental load working mothers are dealing with and be supportive
• Role model mothers of young children in senior leadership positions to inspire others. Great leaders and great mothers inspire others, often without intending to but let’s be more explicit about this
• If you work for the NHS think about joining the Women’s Network – email wyicb.womensnetwork@nhs.net to express an interest and for more info.

Overall, I think being a mum of young children in a leadership position works for me because I recognise my privilege. I am acutely aware also of the privilege of being a mum to three healthy children. Whilst managing the balancing act can be hard, I am comfortable with the chaos, I am privileged to have a supportive team and family, although I still need to know when to ask for help.

Finally, whilst I have caring responsibilities my privilege is that that was a choice for me and one I had months to plan for - I appreciate this is a luxury not afforded to the majority of working carers and hats off to all single parents doing this alone 365 days a year. There are certainly some challenges to juggling both my roles and some days are easier than others, but on reflection I think becoming a mum has added to my skill set as a leader. I hope reading this blog will encourage others to think the same.

Sarah