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As the school year winds down, many working parents face a seasonal challenge thats as predictable as it is taxing: how to stay productive at work while managing the logistics, emotions, and expectations that come with kids being home for the summer. For parents in leadership roles, the stakes can feel even higher. Over the past decade, as a mother of three and a leader in human resources and people operations, Ive learned firsthand how parenthood profoundly shapes ones approach to work and life. But these challenges are not just personal, theyre organizational. If employers dont address the summer wellness support gap, they risk employee burnout, decreased productivity, and long-term attrition. Its crucial that parents feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive, both at home and in their professional lives. Why the Summer Crunch is Different and More Stressful Summer means parents suddenly take on the additional roles of full-time caregivers, activity planners, and sometimes even tutors, often while still carrying a full professional workload. With school out, daily routines dissolve, screen time goes up, childcare becomes patchworked, and workdays are punctuated by snack requests, playtime, and pleas for attention. For parents in high-pressure roles, this creates a relentless push-pull, fueling guilt, exhaustion, and a constant sense of falling short in both spheres. Whats the solution? Boundaries, Flexibility, and Mental Health First Here is a take that some may find controversial: the concept of balance is a myth. We often chase it only to feel more disappointed because its an unattainable ideal. Instead, I focus on integrationweaving work, parenting, and self-care together throughout the day in a way that honors each of these priorities. Presence is key. This means truly being in the moment, whether on a leadership call or with my kids. And thats harder than ever in todays always-on world, where Zoom fatigue and Slack notifications fragment our attention. Being on all the time blurs boundaries and drains our energy. In my own professional and personal life, Ive learned that rather than letting the summer months derail my rhythm, I encourage a handful of practices to stay aligned: Calendar Management and Sacred Personal Time Build intentional breaks into your day for mental rest. Dont overbook yourself and respect your own boundaries. When time becomes more limited, especially for working parents, calendars need to do more than just reflect your next meeting. They should actively support your energy and focus. That means intentionally scheduling short breaks throughout the day to reset and decompress. Even just 10 to 15 minutes between video calls can dramatically reduce fatigue. Without a set time for personal recovery, burnout becomes inevitable. Whether its a morning workout, a midweek therapy session, or a summer Friday reset for rest and solitude, carving out nonnegotiable time for yourself is critical. This isnt about being selfish. Its about making sure you have the energy and clarity to show up fully for both work and family. Practice Presence Train Yourself to be fully engaged with whichever role youre in at the moment, whether a meeting or a family dinner. Reduce multitasking when possible. When everything happens under one roof, its easy to blend work and home roles until neither gets your full attention. Practicing presence and focusing completely on the task or person in front of you can help reestablish meaningful boundaries and reduce guilt. If youre leading an all-hands or helping out with your daughters next vocab test homework, being fully present strengthens trust, deepens relationships, and improves performance. But presence isnt automatic. Its a discipline that requires reducing distractions and intentionally shifting focus before you log off for the day. Open Communication Negotiate clearly with your employer and colleagues, and at home. Share what you need and listen to the needs of others to find win-win solutions. Work-life intention hinges on mutual understanding. Whether youre agreeing on what to make for dinner with your partner or negotiating hours with a manager, clear communication is key. For me, it took clear conversations to protect the time I needed to recharge. Every Saturday, my husband takes the kids out so I can have uninterrupted hours to myself. That understanding allows me to reset only because weve agreed on it and protect it. The same principle applies at work. Ive carved out a few mornings a week for workouts, and that means my first meeting on those days doesnt begin until a bit later. That boundary is known and respected because I communicated it clearly, and I show up better because of it. Transparency and courage in these conversations foster trust and make it easier to adjust as circumstances evolve. Community Support Join or create employee resource groups to share advice and reduce stigma. Consider coaching or mentoring to gain tailored support on navigating parenting challenges in a work context. Connecting with other working parents can be a powerful antidote to isolation and burnout. Whether formalized through an employee resource group or informal lunch-hour chats, these communities, both big and small, offer space to share real-life challenges, swap ideas, and feel understood. Parent-focused groups, especially, help reduce stigma by normalizing common experiences, from managing day camp delays to navigating guilt over missed work milestones. These groups remind parents theyre not alone and that shared understanding is a strength, not a vulnerability. Additionally, coaching offers personalized support that acknowledges the complex intersection of parenting and professional growth. A coach can help clarify values, improve time management, and provide a safe space to work through challenges like setting boundaries, managing burnout, or feeling pulled in multiple directions. For some, coaching also provides an accessible starting point for broader mental wellness work, making it easier to take proactive steps before stress becomes overwhelming. Mental Health Resources Take advantage of the mental health benefits available to you, and seek help early if you feel it’s needed. Many mental health challenges escalate not because support isnt available, but because people wait too long to ask for it. Tapping into therapy resources or EAP services, even when youre curious, can help reduce stress before it snowballs into something more serious. It also sends a powerful message: mental well-being is just as important as physical health. Organizations that promote early access to resources and normalize their use create cultures where seeking help is seen as a strength, not a shortcoming. Lasting trust and engagement As leaders, we often talk about bringing our whole selves to work. For working parents, that includes showing up with te joys, stresses, and logistics of family life, especially in the summer. The good news is that with the right support in place, parents dont have to choose between professional success and family well-being. They can create workplaces where parents thrive professionally without sacrificing family connections. By prioritizing mental health, offering flexible solutions, and fostering a culture of compassion, employers can turn a seasonal challenge into an opportunity for lasting trust and engagement. As more leaders adopt this approach, the entire organization benefits from healthier, more engaged, and more loyal teams.
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E-Commerce
Sharon found me at the drinks event after my keynote, wine in hand with a hesitant smile. As a keynote speaker focused on empathy and leadership, I am often approached at the bar for tough conversations. I was told by my boss to come to your talk, she began, because apparently I dont have any empathy. She said it half as a joke, half as a confession. We both laughed, but I could tell there was something deeper to what she was saying. A mix of defensiveness, concern, and curiosity. By her own description, Sharon was a passionate and experienced but hardened leader. As she described her perception in the workplace, I detected resignation in her voicelike she was missing this capacity called empathy, as if it were an innate quality you either possess or not. But empathy isnt an innate quality. Its a skill that can be honed. And its not about being niceits about being effective. Empathy is the ability to understand othersrecognizing what drives people and how theyre affected by our decisions. Its not soft; its strategic. Because when we understand the impact we have on others, we can build trust, create commitment, and lead people. Empathetic leadership: Avoiding assumptions and reactions Empathy doesnt always come naturally. Human brains are incredibly complex and use shortcuts (mental models built from our experiences) to navigate the world efficiently. These models are learned and embedded; they become our traits. We use these to judge quickly, often habitually reacting without seeking to understand. Leading with empathy requires us to have humility in complex situationsseeking to understand and be strategic instead of using assumptions and quick reactions. Thats why I teach people to be consciously curious. Its the practice of slowing down our judgments, letting go of the need for instant certainty, and asking better questions to explore. Assumptions might work fast, but we need more than speed. Heres how to do it. 3 simple tips to lead with empathy Ask What else? The first thing any leader can do is to ask themselves What else could be going on here? Our impulsive brains like to look for a pattern, make a connection, and react quickly. But genuinely asking yourself this question can force you into more exploration, and thats crucial in the often new and highly complex situations leaders face. When someone makes a snide remark, you might assume theyre being unkind. But perhaps something else is going on. Maybe they are frustrated by a process, angry with a peer, fearful of being dismissed, or lack the communication skills to express themselves in a more effective way. If you arent sure what the driver is, it can be challenging to respond empathetically. Asking yourself the question can help you slow down and find out whats really at play first. Disagree without being disagreeable. In todays combative world, we often react to opposing views with defensiveness or hostility. Many people avoid and discourage disagreement because to them conflict violates hierarchical structures. But differing opinions are not an annoyancetheyre essential for diverse teams to face unprecedented challenges. We need to disagree. Empathy helps us stay curious, even amid the complexity and uncertainty of arguments. Instead of proving others wrong, empathic leaders lean in to explore alternative perspectives. Mastering the art of respectful disagreement means managing ourselves first, creating space for conversation, exploration, and understanding. This leads to better decisions. Practice the art of shutting up. While there are many techniques available to build empathy into your leadership, one of the simplest to accept and hardest to master is being quiet. Silence can be a powerful tool in deepening understanding. The most skilled interviewers and negotiators know that a tough question isnt always the key to communication; often, it is the willingness to wait in the uncertainty and allow others to reveal themselves. Weve all been in meetings where things were left unsaid because we were too busy or too noisy, and everyone was left worse off because of it. In leadership and life, silence is an invitation to go deeper. When we resist the urge to fill the gaps, we create space for others to expand. Mastering the art of listening not to respond but to truly discover unlocks trust, insight, and connection. It helps people share more and be more engaged. Empathy leads with curiosity, not answers. It values understanding over speed and commitment over compliance. And anyone can learn these skills to lead with empathy.
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E-Commerce
Fast Company recently interviewed Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, a senior researcher at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, on what it means to lead a creative life. In this essay, she shares one of her top tips for fueling creativity. Creativity is the powerhouse that differentiates good organizations from great ones. It goes beyond generating ideas. It is about the long process of developing ideas for more effective performance and the process of building abstract notions into concrete products. Creativity is full of emotionsthe reputational risk of not knowing how an idea will be received by stakeholders, the frustration of dealing with constraints and obstacles, conflict about directions to take, and elation when you finally develop a product. Successful creativity does not depend on the kinds of emotions experienced. Rather, it depends on your ability to harness the power of emotions and manage them when they get in the way of progress. In my book, The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions To Turn Ideas Into Action, I write about how to use emotional intelligence to manage the creative process, regardless of industry or job role. Notice emotions to identify opportunities A traditional (and outdated) idea of professionalism demands that emotions be left at the doorstep. But that is neither possible, nor desirable. Emotions contain messages about the state of our minds and the situations around us. This is valuable information that can spark inspiration and help us identify opportunities ripe for innovation. Is something frustrating you? This might point to a problem that can be solved. Entrepreneurs are skilled at identifying opportunities by reading their own and others feelings. Hate everything about the grocery shopping experience? Apoorva Mehta did not ignore this feeling, he used it to found Instacart. He created a way to shop for groceries from ones phone, which completely bypassed all the frustrations of going to the store, searching for items, and waiting in lines. Frustrated about the state of the beauty industry? Melissa Butler founded Lip Bar. Its products are vegan and cruelty-free and offer a wide variety of vibrant lipstick colors and complexion products. Innovators inside organizations do the same. For example, when a supervisor in a food services unit of a major hospital realizes his workers are exhausted, hes identifying a problem in need of a creative solution. As a result, the hospital redesigned the workflow, removing the need to bend or stretch to reach far away items. This reduced worker burnout and improved their accuracy on the job. Take advantage of thinking/feeling connections Emotion scientists have discovered moods boost different kinds of thinking. There are times when we feel positive, energized, and enthusiastic. These times are best for brainstorming and charting new ideas. At other times we are subdued or even sullen. At these times we are best at critical thinking. These moods make us see all that is wrong or not quite right. Creativity is not just a spark of inspiration or what we call “feeling creative.” Inspired ideas have to be developed and improved upon. To optimize creative work, it takes skill to match different moods to tasks which benefit from them. Feeling playful? Come up with new ideas for a project. Feeling down? Review and revise. Generate emotions What if you have to attend an ideation meeting, but are feeling down? Remember that we have more power over emotions than we might realize. You can create the mood that is most helpful in the moment. Recall a past win. Put on a song that gets you going. Reach out to a colleague whose enthusiasm is infectious. Just as athletes pump themselves up or find calm focus when needed, you can find a workplace equivalent of getting pumped up. Another skill is generating emotions to communicate and inspire. Leaders skilled at communicating their passion inspire others and end up having workers who are clear about their responsibilities and goals. Similarly, when pitching creative ideas, those who project fiery determination are perceived as both passionate and well prepared. And communicating these feelings is related to higher funding pledges. Use emotional intelligence to build a climate for creativity and innovation Leaders set the emotional tone in their teams and serve as models for what is expected and accepted. A Yale study including more than 14,000 people across industries in the U.S. asked workers to describe how their supervisors act in emotionally fraught situations. Emotionally intelligent supervisors do four specific things: They are skilled at reading emotions and acknowledge them. They realize when people are upset or worried about organizational or industry changes. They inspire enthusiasm and model decision-making that takes into account both optimistic and cautious voices. Emotionally intelligent supervisors understand how their decisions or other events affect people. They are able to successfully manage their own emotions, and also help their team members when they are upset or frustrated. Employees whose supervisors acted in emotionally intelligent ways were motivated, challenged, and fulfilled at work. However, employees whose supervisors did not act in emotionally intelligent ways felt unappreciated and angry. And this emotional climate had consequences. Having an emotionally intelligent supervisor makes workers see opportunities for growth and act in more creative and innovative ways. If the goal is creativity and innovation, leaders should develop emotional intelligence skills. A review of dozens of studies shows that training programseither in higher education or through workplace professional developmentmake people better at accurately perceiving, using, understanding, and managing emotions, regardless of their industry. When leaders develop these skills, they notice how their team members feel, demonstrate understanding of how their decisions impact others, and help people deal with challenges of work. Investment in leadership development will pay off in capacity for innovation.
Category:
E-Commerce
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