Leadership in Business & Motherhood

Leadership in Business & Motherhood

From With Both Hands by Laura Hadcroft & Clare Thorpe

February 9, 2026 · 52 min · Season 2 · Episode 2

About this episode

This episode explores the relationship between motherhood and leadership, challenging the narrative that women are less capable leaders after becoming mothers.

In this episode of With Both Hands , we explore the often overlooked relationship between motherhood and leadership. Through honest reflection, Laura and Claire question why women are so frequently seen as less capable leaders after becoming mothers, and why this narrative makes so little sense. Expect reflections on how the skills developed through parenting, including emotional intelligence, negotiation, resilience and decision-making, are not only transferable to leadership roles but fundamental to them. The conversation examines how corporate structures often fail to recognise these strengths, while also acknowledging that leadership exists far beyond traditional hierarchies and job titles. Drawing on lived experience, the episode challenges narrow definitions of leadership and invites a broader, more inclusive understanding, one that values intuition, alignment and care alongside ambition and authority. This is an invitation to reframe motherhood not as a limitation, but as a leadership practice in its own right, and to recognise the quiet, powerful ways women lead every day.

People in this episode

Hosts: Laura Hadcroft, Clare Thorpe

Topics covered

  • motherhood
  • leadership
  • emotional intelligence
  • corporate structures
  • women in leadership
  • parenting skills
  • inclusive leadership

Keywords

  • motherhood
  • leadership
  • emotional intelligence
  • negotiation
  • resilience
  • decision-making
  • corporate structures
  • inclusive leadership

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