How do top CEOs and entrepreneurs find the balance between their careers and personal lives? With 70% of women taking on the primary caregiving load, their secret lies in an invisible army of support staff that turns time into their most valuable asset, writes Cherie Clonan.
Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, worth over $1 billion, attributes a part of her success to her support network. It includes a PA, EA, nanny, personal chef, and family staff to balance her business and family life. Melanie Perkins, CEO of Canva, has spoken about the household support that has been instrumental to her success. Kim Kardashian employs a team of nannies, cleaners, and personal assistants to manage her household and professional commitments.
These high-performing leaders acknowledge their support system is not a luxury—it’s a necessity and should be part of open conversations. Starting with this level of support might seem unattainable – but starting small can still yield powerful results.
My personal experience
In the early years of starting my business with no family support and childcare fees at a premium I found an alternative – an au pair cultural exchange program. I gained 36 hours of invaluable help and a significant competitive advantage to grow my digital agency.
In time, I hired a nanny, who eventually became my personal assistant. With split responsibilities within the agency and outside it, this role became a win for both of us. While I gained the ability to delegate tasks including nutritious school lunches, school pickup, grocery shopping, and organising playdates to create capacity for other aspirations, my nanny transitioned careers and has since completed her MBA.
Transformative results
In just four years, I transformed my business from having $4,000 in its bank account (with a $22,000 payroll run looming) to become a multi-million dollar agency. This success was driven by effective delegation and strategic growth, made possible by the time and mental space my support network provided. Thanks to their dedication, I no longer had to choose between elevating my business or being present for important family moments – I’ve achieved both.
The influx of mental load information and supporting data is compelling. If you carry the mental load and are a high-performing leader, there is no simple solution. How can you handle the complexities of leading while creating a fulfilling life outside of work?
There is a plethora of messaging aimed at ‘helping’ women achieve this balance. To not be in the workplace. To work, but strive for balance. To compartmentalise and seamlessly switch from leader mode to home/family mode. To lean in, wing it, and to have it all. It is difficult to think of equivalent cultural narratives for males and the scrutiny accompanying them.
The evidence
Leaders who are mothers start on the back foot for the one commodity no one can create more of- time. In Australia, women comprise 22% of CEOs and 42% of managers (Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency, November 2023). 70% of women take on physical and emotional care of children compared to 42% of men.
A standard workweek is 38 hours with four weeks of annual leave. Primary school hours are around 30 hours a week, with 12 weeks of holidays a year. Add to this the inevitable considerations for sick leave for school-aged children.
The maths for leaders doesn’t add up – a 38 work week is a pipe dream. A study by Harvard Business Review showed leaders worked an average of 9.7 hours per weekday, conducted business on 79% of weekends and worked on 70% of annual leave days. In total, the average hours per week clocked by CEO’s was 62.5 hours.
While workplaces are progressing to provide an environment and high performing teams to support leaders, this is an incomplete ‘solution’. Time cannot be created, but it can be reclaimed. To perform their best at work and navigate life at home, support outside of work is not only necessary for high performing leaders – it is non negotiable.
What support looks like
Seeking support involves acknowledging the need for help, understanding the benefits and then creating a strategic plan to implement it. The best support comes from motivated, kind, thoughtful, and proactive individuals who are often fulfilled by helping others shine. Support can start small and increase. It might be sharing drop-offs and pick-ups, outsourcing tasks, pre-ordering food for a busy week, or adding additional household help.
Where to start
True leadership extends beyond the workplace. By applying the same strategic skills that consistently generate high performing results at work to their personal lives, leaders can succeed in every area.
Self-awareness, having courageous yet constructive conversations, identifying inefficiencies, creating strategic solutions, delegating and a willingness to test and learn are just as powerful when used at home.
Leaders should assess how they spend their time versus where they would prefer it to go, and for what purpose, then tailor solutions. As always, clear expectations and open communication are essential.
A workplace wouldn’t wait to hit rock bottom before seeking support
Neither should a leader. Scalability in the workplace involves asking for help, and sustainable growth without burnout requires delegating, planning and decisive action. Normalising support to be a high performing leader, breaks the cycle of doing it all but feeling like none of it is done well.
Whether it’s opting for practical support like hands on help with childcare, meal preparation or groceries, or investing in professional services like personal training or psychologists, there is a different way. True leadership means overcoming traditional narratives to recognise the return on investment of support and embracing it to achieve sustainable success and balance across the board.
Cherie Clonan is the proud Autistic CEO of The Digital Picnic digital marketing agency, specialising in paid advertising.
