In my professional journey, I have always sought challenges and opportunities to learn, make a difference and contribute to the world. I consider myself to be a mother in an eternal internship process, but here I'll share with you how I've been balancing my routine (and what has worked and what hasn't worked so well).
Maíra Habimorad
Why do you work?
At a young age, one of my daughters asked me why I worked so much. At the time, I gave her the ready answer that it was the only way I could provide the best for them. Of course, it's not just about that.
I work because I enjoy it. I'm always involved in projects that I believe in and that generate value for society. Work is what gives women the freedom and autonomy to make their own choices. And I want Carol and Stella to grow up with the opportunity to be whatever they want to be.
I recognize my privileges. I've always had a support network that has allowed me to reconcile career and motherhood. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the majority of mothers in Brazil. Data from the second edition of the study Gender statistics: social indicators of women in Brazil by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reveals that the level of occupation among women aged 25 to 49 with children up to 3 years old is 54.6%. The proportion of men in the same age group with children is 89.2%. Despite our progress in terms of gender equality, women still have to spend almost twice as much time on personal care or household chores. Reconciling this unfair routine forces many talented professionals to reduce their working hours.
Deconstructions of motherhood
Motherhood is a huge tsunami that turns your life upside down. It's a transformation that involves your body, your home, your logistics, your structures and your time.
I was leading an international expansion process for Cia de Talentos when my daughters were born. Being in charge of my business, I chose not to stop. I breastfed at home, while signing contracts and holding meetings with my team.
Professional growth doesn't happen overnight. It takes dedication beyond 8 hours a day to deliver exceptional results. Add to that extra study and preparation. This was the place I was used to being: always striving to be among the best at what I did.
I'm proud of my achievements. I made a career transition at the age of 38 after dedicating a good part of my life to Cia de Talentos. I needed to honor my career and the people who helped me get there, and to this day I remain on the company's board. I went to Adtalem to start my story in the world of education, and today I'm here at Inteli helping to train the leaders of the future.
All this was happening at the same time as my daughters were growing up. And then I realized that you can't be the best professional, the best mother, the best friend, the best girlfriend and the best citizen all at the same time. You have to wake up in the morning and decide what your focus will be that day. But how can you live with the fact that you're not always among the best when this has always been your goal?
Benchmark yourself in the right place
Social networks represent a strategic snapshot of what is beautiful and perfect in our lives. Everyone seems happy to deal with daily tasks while balancing on high heels. You can't look to those who don't live the same reality as you for inspiration.
I think of myself as a worse professional every time I compare myself to women who don't have children and dedicate themselves solely to their careers. I feel like the worst mother in the world whenever I talk to friends who have chosen full-time motherhood, know the name of their swimming teacher and label their child's uniform.
The key is to choose as a reference someone who understands your pain and what it means to share the focus of attention. I have a good friend who is the general manager of a hotel chain and has two children. When we talk, we share anguish, guilt and advice, and there we find comfort.
You set your limits
Work, motherhood and my personal life demand a lot from me and are always competing for more and more dedication. I am the common link responsible for creating boundaries. It's a game of push and pull in which I have to negotiate the best possible allocation of time.
This has forced me to be a much more pragmatic professional/mother. In other words: choose your priorities, balance your routine and try to find peace even in the face of guilt.
Female leadership
When we experience motherhood and fatherhood, we gain a chance to see everything in the long term and an extra motivation to contribute to a better world. Your perspective shifts a little from yourself to the collective. From a people management point of view, I gained an even more empathetic view of the person who lives in each of our employees who needs time and attention to look after their private lives. We are one.
I've developed the ability to delegate even more. I have to trust that the people looking after my daughters are doing the best job possible. I have to distribute tasks to the team I'm part of with the certainty that everyone will be able to cope and do their best.
The road to gender equality in the business world is still a long one. A study by Bain & Company and Linkedin shows that the largest companies in Brazil have only 3% female CEOs. The survey Women CEOs Speakby Korn Ferry, shows that women need at least 30% more time to reach a leadership position than men. In common, these women carry the desire to make a positive impact on their surroundings. The possibility of bringing improvements to employees and the community was the motivation for 68% to take on business leadership.
As CEO of a technology college, I want to continue working hard so that young people are encouraged to manage their careers and always have the power to make their own choices. Shall we go together?
