Reflections on Motherhood and Leadership During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This chapter explores the impact of motherhood on the professional identities of female leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on five principles related to parenting a young child that one might apply to one's experiences as a female leader during the COVID-19 pandemic: 1) listen with your eyes, 2) recognize that not knowing is part of growing, 3) release the need for perfection, 4) engage in restorative rituals, and 5) focus on those things that are within your control. It also expands upon the notion that creating an emotional climate where faculty, staff, and administrators can bring their “whole selves” to work would be beneficial, both during a pandemic and beyond.