Book description
We work so hard to build our management and leadership skills in our
careers, but we often feel like blithering idiots when faced with a
child who won't cooperate, a husband who doesn't pay attention and a
household that seems ready to collapse from the weight of our anxiety
about chores. “Why can't I be as smart at home as I am at work?” I have
often found myself wondering.
These words-written by Carol Evans and excerpted from the Foreword of
Mom-in-Chief-sum up why leadership expert Jamie Woolf wrote
this book. They reflect the sentiments of countless professional women
who feel great about our accomplishments in the workplace but not so
great about how we run our homes.
In this one-of-a-kind book, Woolf sets out to help readers bridge the
gap between corner office and kitchen counter. Along the way she
shares inspiring stories, practical strategies and interactive
assessment tools to illustrate how the best workplace practices can
bring more joy and success to family life.
Drawing from two decades of experience, she lays out her "best
practices" to improve your communication, create a healthy family
culture, discover your parent leadership style, manage crises, thrive
during adolescence, and juggle work and family priorities. Readers
will explore common leadership dilemmas, including:
- When to step in and when to step back
- How to maximize the learning opportunities that come from mistakes
- How to stay connected with a pesky toddler or testy teenager
- How to create rituals that strengthen the family's esprit de corps
- When to push kids and when to let them quit
- How to feel less like a maid or short-order cook and more like a
skilled leader capable of unleashing the potential of others.
Mom-in-Chief addresses real quandaries and covers everything
that smart career-oriented women need to know in order to fulfill
their parenting potential and navigate challenges with skill and grace.
This book is a welcome reminder that leading a family doesn't mean
churning out living masterpieces, or indulging children with the
perfect everything. It does mean inspiring without pushing your
own agenda, nurturing without micromanaging, encouraging without
aiming to win a best-of-show competition, and expecting the best
without ignoring the joyful ordinariness of childhood.
Jamie Woolf reminds us that leading a family
doesn't mean churning out living masterpieces or indulging children
with the perfect everything. It means inspiring without pushing your
own agenda, nurturing without micromanaging, encouraging without
aiming to win a best-of-show competition, and expecting the best
without ignoring the joy of childhood.
