3 Ways Maternal Instincts Give Women In Leadership An Advantage

As the landscape of gender roles continues to be redefined, these 3 experts agree that their maternal instincts provide an advantage in Leadership.

Mothers provide an indisputably safe space that their children know they can depend on. The protection and guidance of a Mother, especially in the new age of divine femininity, provides the confidence for her children to freely develop themselves. 

These instincts provide women with natural leadership skills. Here are 3 ways you can reinforce them today:

Camberly Gilmartin: Reading The Room

“My maternal instincts kick in and usually start off by telling me to ask more specific questions, listen more carefully, or take deeper action to understand a situation or issue.”

Brand Strategist, Entrepreneur, Writer and Mother, Camberly Gilmartin has honed her maternal instincts to such a degree of proficiency, that they allow her to read a room with utmost precision. A Mother’s intuition tells us when something is off; when for example our children are unwell, or when circumstances warrant investigation beyond what meets the eye at first glance. It is in our ability to read our children, beyond their words and ‘listen’ to their body language and energy, that we as Mothers and Leaders really come alive.

Gilmartin shares; “As a Mother, you are a natural Leader – one who sets the energy of a team. Leading from the heart and reading the room allows for emotional safety within a group, creating space for individuals to share unique gifts and talents and ultimately facilitate improved collaboration and creative solutions.”

To activate your instincts she recommends: Putting on your oxygen mask first and practicing exceptional self-care. When you are nourished, rested and supported mentally, spiritually and emotionally, your ability to hear yourself is amplified. Slow down and listen to what your body needs. 

Elena Cardone: Natural-Born Seller

“Even if you say, ‘my daughter can be whatever she wants’ – while that may be true and maybe you don’t really care if she goes into ballet or piano, sports or computers, you still hope to close the deal on her success.”

Elena Cardone, Founder of 10x Ladies, Author, Lifestyle Influencer and Investor, attributes her mastery of the art of selling and persuasion to being a Mother. The power to persuade her daughters of the importance of brushing their teeth, eating healthy food and displaying dedication to the acquisition and honing of new skills in their favorite sports, has equal application in the world of leadership beyond the family home. 

It might seem basic but mastering these skills yields massive returns when you step into the business arena as a Mother. According to Cardone; “selling my little humans is harder than selling in the boardroom, but it is because of them that I have become the influential and wealthy woman I am today.”


To activate your instincts she recommends: paying attention to the process by which you take a new concept within the home from a mere idea, to a demonstrable behavior within your children. That same process that you use with your children, can be the golden formula to persuading literally anyone else!

Dana Kay: Hiring With Heart

“Being a leader – of a community, a team, or even a family – means sometimes having to make hard decisions that don’t always make the most sense on the surface.”

Dana Kay is a Board-Certified Holistic Health and Nutrition Practitioner and Mother to a child with ADHD. Her child is now thriving naturally due to Kay aligning with her gut instinct, which steered her from mainstream advice and from the medical treatments proposed by doctors.

Dana discovered that making instinct-led decisions as a Mother greatly impacted her growth professionally: “As my business has grown, I’ve also had to listen to my gut professionally. There have been many people on my team whom I’ve hired purely because my instincts told me they were the right people (even if their resumes weren’t as impressive as others). These hires have been perfect. I’ve learned over time that the best way to grow and lead is to follow your gut.”

To activate your instincts she recommends: allowing yourself to be in a space where you are willing to risk it all, by being open and ready to listen to your intuition within. To echo previous opinions in this article, Dana reflects on the importance of slowing down, breathing deeply, and nourishing your soul.

In Closing

All women, whether mothers or not, possess the collective wisdom of our ancestors, who since the beginning of time have raised, nurtured, and led humanity. There is wisdom within you far greater than anything you can ever learn academically. The more you make time for yourself, the more your instincts will come alive. By allowing them to flourish and guide your leadership decisions, you have boundless potential to impact the lives of those around you, both professionally and personally.