What do you get when you cross a Pediatric Nurse with a BS in Child Development? The World’s Best Mom. AKA, Elodie Cassidy.
So, this Mother’s Day, an ode to my Mom and what she taught me about showing up as a leader .
Growing up, I watched my Mom take on numerous fairly thankless volunteer leadership roles: President of the PTA, Chair of the Hinsdale Assembly Ball, President of the Garden Club, among others. Not to mention COO//CMO//CEO of our house. She truly embodies the style of servant leader — empowering others in service of the greater good.
How my Mom has consistently shown up as a leader in her many roles is a big reason why I’m passionate about seeing more women in leadership — in government and in corporate.
She leads by example, she leads with heart and she GETS IT DONE.
Some highlights of the Leadership lessons I learned from her example …
-1- Shake it Off
I remember when I came home from trying out for the Cheerleading squad Freshman year of high school. After 3 years as a Pop Warner cheerleader, I thought it was a given that I’d make the squad. I even went to Nationals with my Pop Warner team!
But, I felt like I’d really messed it up. I told my mom as such and her response was, “Well, if you think you messed it up and didn’t make it, you probably didn’t.”
She clearly didn’t sugarcoat it, but in being direct and not letting me buy into my teenage drama, she emphasized that a small failure or disappointment wasn’t worth dwelling on. Shake it off and move on.
I ultimately ended up with a better opportunity to be the manager of the boy’s basketball team Sophomore year, which was a blast. I learned so much more about basketball and had the best seats in the house for every game.
It all worked out in the end, in a way I couldn’t have expected because she encouraged me to let it go and move forward.
-2- Do Unto Others
Everybody loves my mom. No matter who they are or what they do, everyone is treated with kindness. Even those who aren’t kind to her.
I’ve seen time and again how she’s been able to make things happen in organizations where it can be frustrating and challenging to get everyone on board in the same direction. They want to be on board because they feel respected and seen. Yes, liking a leader is important to get things to go the extra mile.
Yet, that doesn’t mean that she’s a pushover in any way …
-3- Use your Voice
Growing up, my Mom was a fierce advocate for my brothers and I.
In High School, I didn’t consider myself anything special of a writer, but my mom did. She lobbied to get me moved up to the Honors English track. I hadn’t realized I wasn’t being challenged, but she did. My grades improved because I had teachers and classmates that inspired me. So, you can thank my Mom for my love of writing as that’s why you get to read this blog. 😉
If there was something she believed in for us, she made sure she was heard and made it happen.
She never was afraid to speak up for what she believed was right — for us, for the organizations that she worked with or for her friends. And so, she changed what we thought was possible and thus changed what actually was possible.
-4- The Power of Presence
Long before Amy Cuddy or Neil Galinsky gave me research to corroborate my philosophy that what you wear matters to YOU, my Mom showed me the power of Presence.
After I lobbied for years to finally get my ears pierced at age 11 (after an unsuccessful attempt at age 5), my mom would get frustrated with me because I didn’t wear earrings very often.
Unless heading out for a workout, she wouldn’t leave the house without earrings or lipstick.
She’s not a Fashionista, not into labels and not trendy at all. Still, whether dressed up or dressed down, she cared about how she presented herself. For her self.
It made an impact on me because it wasn’t about the clothes, the earrings or the lipstick. It was about feeling good. In her self. And that positive energy created ripple effects in her interactions throughout each day.
My Mom’s impact on me as a leader is a large part of WHY I do what I do with women.
So often, we don’t see ourselves as leaders. We see ourselves doing what we would naturally do, so we don’t think anything of it.
But that’s just it — we are natural leaders. And we make things happen. Often without much thanks.
So, today, I thank YOU for being the natural leader we want + need.
A few resources so we can start seeing more parity in leadership: