The Most Powerful Moms at Work
What Joann S. Lublin learned from three generations of working mothers
Does being a mother help or hurt your career? And how does it shape the way we lead?
It’s a complicated question. Decades ago, I moved from New York to Washington, DC for my partner’s job—a decision that distanced me from my team and, in many ways, pushed me out of the spotlight. Still, I was grateful to work from home when my children were small. My career stopped being front and center in those days, though I continued to put in the effort, stitching together hours in the evenings and on weekends.
Once my children became more independent, things got easier, and I returned to more traditional office rhythms. Motherhood, in the end, made me stronger, more adaptable, more intuitive, more empathetic, and, ultimately, a better journalist.
A Bright Horizons survey found that 85 percent of American adults believe motherhood helps women prepare for leadership challenges. Yet the road is still hard: another study found that a third of mothers quit within 18 months of returning to work.
I often wonder if staying in New York would have accelerated my career—more visibility, more opportunity. But I wouldn’t trade where I am now: building a life and career on my own terms, and laying the foundation for a book launch and meaningful work that might not have happened otherwise.
My former Wall Street Journal colleague Joann Lublin tackled complex and nuanced journeys like mine in her excellent book, Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life. It explores how three generations—Boomer women who broke barriers, then Gen X and Millennial moms—have navigated the intersection of motherhood and leadership. We had a conversation about what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how power really shows up—both at home and at work.
Here are excerpts from our conversation, edited for clarity and length.
AMC: What do you think sets women leaders apart, especially those who are also mothers?
JSL: Raising kids teaches all parents to multitask, prioritize, and delegate—but motherhood, in particular, can sharpen leadership in three key ways.
First, mothers often become deeply empathetic listeners. They learn to walk in their kids’ shoes and read between the lines—skills that translate into supporting their employees more effectively such as by understanding nonverbal clues.
Second, motherhood builds patience. Women who once may have had little tolerance for slow coworkers often develop greater patience and calm, making them steadier, more resilient leaders.
Third, mothers tend to become strong mentors. Guiding children teaches them to lead by example and to instill values, not just behaviors. In my case, I mentored my kids to be feminists—because mentorship, at its best, requires conveying strongly -held ethical beliefs.
AMC: On the flip side, how has being a mom hurt—or complicated—the leadership journey?
JSL: In Power Moms, the women I interviewed weren’t just moms:—they were ambitious moms aiming for the executive ranks. Two major challenges they faced were: working mother guilt and the mental load.
Boomer women, the first generation to juggle motherhood and executive careers, were especially burdened by guilt. Younger moms, I found, coped better by embracing what’s called Work-Life Sway—letting go of the unrealistic goal of balance and instead giving full focus to whichever area needs attention in the moment, guilt-free, before swaying back the other way.
The mental load remains a persistent issue. Even today, society largely expects mothers to manage the day-to-day logistics of family life—the so-called “domestic third shift”—without recognition or pay. But younger executive moms were more likely to seek true parenting parity, often setting clear expectations with partners before committing to long-term relationships.
AMC: You've interviewed many impressive women leaders—who stands out in your mind as an especially inspiring Power Mom, and why?
JSL: One of the most inspiring power moms I interviewed was Andrea Jung, the first female CEO of Avon—famously known as “the company for women.” She led the company for 12 years while raising two children as a single mom.
Equally powerful was the example she set. She made it visible that work and parenting could coexist successfully. She’d sometimes leave the office at 3 p.m. for a child-related activity, and as she walked through the executive suite, she’d say loudly, “I’m going to the pediatrician” or “I’m heading to the soccer game.” Her message was that it’s not just okay to prioritize family—it’s important. She told me, “I did this because I wanted to empower others.”
After Avon, she went on to lead Grameen America, a nonprofit that provides microloans to underserved women so they can start or expand businesses. She’s still there today. An amazing leader—and an even more amazing role model.
AMC: How has motherhood shaped your own career—as a journalist, a leader, and an author?
JSL: Motherhood shaped my career in part because I resented how little support there was for women who wanted to pursue both work and parenting. During my first pregnancy, my mother, a special ed teacher, urged me to switch careers—“Teachers get summers off,” she said. But I loved journalism and couldn’t imagine giving it up.
When I returned from that maternity leave, I acutely felt society’s disapproval of my dual roles. One male colleague asked, “Where do you park your kid all day?” Another said, “You don’t have to be here—you could be home rocking your baby.” And the worst was when The Wall Street Journal asked me to write a first-person essay defending my decision to return to work, alongside an essay by another new mom who had chosen to quit. After it ran, I received a flood of hate mail. The paper published a full page of the “non-libelous” letters. The rest—30 more, too nasty to print—were left in a folder on my desk. I nearly quit.
Later, when I asked for a shortened work week because I was the mother of two young children, management initially denied my request. But I persisted, and my successful experiment eventually helped pave the way for more flexible arrangements—including the first job-share in our Washington bureau between two working moms.
Such experiences inspired me to write Power Moms. I wanted to know: Have things improved for the second generation of ambitious mothers who reached the executive rank? And how much of that progress is thanks to the trailblazers who came before them?
AMC: For younger women who hope to lead and raise a family, what advice would you give them?
JSL: What I found in reporting Power Moms is that the landscape has changed significantly—and I believe it will keep improving for Gen Z women who want to lead and parent.
My best advice? Make three smart choices:
First, choose the right partner. Look for someone committed to co-parenting, sharing household responsibilities, and supporting both careers. Have those conversations early—and revisit them often.
Second, choose the right workplace. If your employer doesn’t support families, vote with your feet. Many second-wave power moms did just that—or started their own companies to create the culture they needed.
Third, choose the right mentors and sponsors. Mentors offer guidance; sponsors put their reputation on the line to advocate for you. You’ll need different ones at different career stages—and yes, many of them will still be men, because men still dominate leadership ranks.
AMC: In Power Moms, you look at both boomer and millennial mothers in leadership. What were some of the biggest generational shifts you uncovered?
JSL: In Power Moms, I explored the generational shifts between boomer and millennial mothers in leadership—and those shifts are why I’m optimistic, even though we still have work to do.
Boomer moms were often the first in the executive suite and felt deeply isolated. They had few female role models, hid their parenting struggles, and rarely expected their spouses to help at home. Take Beth Comstock: decades before becoming the first female vice chair at GE, she was a 24-year-old pregnant wife who worked nights at a cable station in Virginia. On her short dinner break, she’d drive home—to cook for her stockbroker husband.
Millennial moms, by contrast, were more empowered to bring their full selves to work—thanks to the groundwork laid by boomer women, tech advances, more flexible workplaces, and more involved partners. Clara Shih, who co-founded a tech startup at age 27, subsequently shared household duties equally with her husband. When he dressed their son in mismatched clothes for preschool? She didn’t care. That was his responsibility —and she respected it. Today, she leads Business AI at Meta.
AMC: Last but not least, how has your definition of success changed?
JSL: I think success means setting goals that stretch us—but are still within reach. Too often, we aim either too low or too high. When we aim too low, we miss out on growth opportunities—like stretch assignments that might feel scary but help us discover new strengths. But when we aim too high without the right support—without mentors or sponsors—we risk falling short.
That’s why it’s important to define success both in the short term and long term—and to keep redefining it as life changes. Just like with Work-Life Sway, sometimes success means showing up fully at home while work takes a back seat. Other times, it’s about meeting a major deadline at work while letting a few things slide at home. Either way, success should reflect your priorities in the moment—rather than a fixed ideal.