Name: Tamara Sword
Date: Nov 09, 2021
Going on maternity leave might not seem like a step-forward when it comes to your career. The best outcome, you might think, is simply not to take a step backwards in terms of role or pay when you return.
But in today’s digitally savvy, ever-connected, distributed economy, it’s high time we challenged the notion that your career has to go on ice when you’re on a career break. In fact, it’s possible to progress your career even when you’re on maternity or any other kind of leave. And one of the most powerful tools to help you progress is the power of your own thought leadership.
With thought leadership, your career never sleeps.
The world of work has been transformed in the last five years. Work itself is more distributed than ever, with many employees working entirely remote or hybrid. Training resources are distributed too - you can study an MBA or improve your coding skills or learn new negotiating skills regardless of where you are in the world, or where you are in your career. Plus, with platforms like LinkedIn, you’re connected to your network 24/7, regardless of whether or not you’re on a career break.
My agency ThoughtLDR conducted research with headhunters in the UK and US to look at how thought leadership influences career prospects. 82% of respondents said they believed employee thought leadership is more important to employers now than before the pandemic. 56% of respondents said, in their experience, employees perceived as thought leaders can command a higher salary.
By investing time in your thought leadership before, during and after a career break, you can enhance your perceived value in the workplace, reframe the way colleagues see you, build valuable new connections with other potential employers and return to the workplace in a stronger position than when you left.
Start the work before you sign off
So what is thought leadership anyway? In a nutshell, it’s taking your ideas, insights and interests and communicating them in an engaging way to your network. There really is no secret sauce - and you don’t need an employer’s permission to do it. Like going to the gym, it’s just about doing the work to see the results.
Yes, it takes some time and effort; two things that may be in short supply when you have a small person to look after. But in the same way as you might make the time to look after your fitness or your appearance while on maternity, it’s worth making time to invest in your own thought leadership. Self-care is important and thought leadership is professional self-care.
Nobody likes a standing start, so it really helps to get the ball rolling before you go on leave. Spend time figuring out where your expertise lies and what you’re passionate about. You might realise that in your role, you’ve developed a lot of experience on what makes partnerships or product launches or business transformation succeed. You might have a lot of experience in a particular industry - or a particular role. Figure out what your unique selling propositions are and architect your thought leadership around them.
To get started, comment on trending news stories, analyst reports or other people’s posts. Post some simple tips that you would have found helpful when you first embarked on your role. Share your thoughts on what an emerging technology means for your industry. Speak about issues you care about - like equality, diversity or sustainability - and things that need to change in your sector to meet these shared goals.
The good news is that you don’t need to write War and Peace to be a thought leader. A 2020 Thought Leadership Study by LinkedIn found that 75% of decision-makers say short posts stand out as ‘very compelling’. But consistency is important - set a goal to post something every week so you build momentum and audience reach before you go on leave.
Own your own story
The beauty of thought leadership is it’s your story—your insight, your career, your challenges overcome. Don’t make the mistake of leaving gaps in the narrative. Your maternity leave is an important chapter in your story so share it with your network. Where the personal blends with the professional is a rich, relatable topic that never fails to engage.
Let your network know about your maternity leave, your baby’s arrival, how you’re finding the balance between home and work life - it’s a power frame to confidently share your career journey so grab it with both hands. Don’t be afraid to share the things you struggle with - not everything you post has to be positive - it’s actually a very powerful thing to show some vulnerability because it shows you’re human, authentic and brave.
Stay connected
Thought leadership isn’t just useful for career prospects. It can help new parents maintain a positive sense of self, too. Moving from a busy worklife to spending most of your time with a little one who can’t speak can be a psychological shock to the system. It’s no surprise that many mothers—especially those under 30—report feelings of isolation and loneliness. Checking in on emails, hopping on the occasional Zoom, and ‘staying in touch’ days are excellent ways to feel connected to your work while on maternity. But just as important is staying in touch with your wider network on LinkedIn, sharing your ideas and maintaining your sense of professional identity. When you return to work, you’ll return feeling more confident and connected. You’ll also have increased the value potential future employers place on you because your LinkedIn profile is just as important as your CV - if not more so.
Be your authentic self
There’s a misconception about what thought leadership is. The best examples aren’t actually salesy or product focused. They’re not deep dives into technology or updates on company news. The best thought leadership is anything that sparks a human connection between writer and reader on a topic that’s relevant to both.
So, leave talking about your company news for when you’re back in the office. While on maternity, blend your professional insight with your real-world experience. Professional insight that’s imbued with your personal experience will resonate with far more people because we all have inherent interest in human experience.
Bring your whole self to work - and yes, that includes your family life
I share these tips for returners well aware of the cultural and societal obstacles women face in the workplace. The long hours, the travel—the unspoken agreement that everyone is on the same all-consuming mission to change the world.
So here’s a personal anecdote for you. Ten years ago, after four months working in a very fast-paced start-up, the CEO pulled me aside. She was shocked to hear I was the mother of a two-year-old. I’d played down motherhood for fear of the impact it might have on my career, so much so that the person I reported to - the CEO who incidentally was a mother herself - had no idea I was trying to juggle my career and a young family.
The workplace has changed dramatically since then. With distributed working, we all have a window (literally) into each others’ homes. We see more of each other's lives and workplaces in the main are becoming more flexible, more aware and considerate of the challenges for working parents. Thought leadership gives us all the opportunity to own our own career narrative, openly showing our unique strengths, insights - and the realities of juggling work and life.
Knowing what I know now, if I could go back in time, I’d tell my younger self that openness builds rapport. And rapport between people is at the heart every great hire, brilliant team and successful deal. It’s also behind every ‘like’ on LinkedIn.
For practical ways to get started with your own thought leadership, check out this checklist on how to win on LinkedIn: https://www.thoughtldr.com/en-gb/linkedin-profile-checklist