Tag: #womeninbusiness

To All the Those Working from Home During the Pandemic as a Parent (AKA Super Mom/Dad/Parent)

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By: Stephanie Diana Wilson- Eubank

It is understandable that we are all stressed during COVID-19 and how it has changed work and life for all of us.  Arguably COVID has changed the playing field in the business and economic sectors for the foreseeable future.  However, there are many of us who have been working remotely or in a hybrid capacity for years.  Like myself I have been working remotely for over seven years.  So, I like to tell people when asked how I am handling lockdowns and everything being remote that I have been rocking the COVID chic look before it is in style. 

However, regarding my researching for my dissertation on remote employment I firmly believe the changes caused by COVID have created some big opportunities with regards to bringing more diversity and jobs for caregivers to the business world.  There are numerous news reports during COVID regarding the hardship of on women having to take on so much of the so called, “domestic work”.  Such as helping children with online school, housework, and over all care giving.  This is coupled with being like me a working mom where we must do all that while working at the same time.  There are also those also like me who are doing all this while going to school.   Those juggling so much may be able to lament with me when people look at you and complement you on how impressive it that we juggle all this we want to sound like it was nothing and make it look easy.  But truthfully, we sigh because we can’t honestly say how we managed it.  We are surprised at ourselves that I was able to be done at all. 

There is an article from the New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/02/04/parenting/covid-pandemic-mothers-primal-scream.html where they go over how the COVID Pandemic is setting women and feminism back in the US. And to be fair I am up at 1:30 AM to write this article just so I can let out some of my creative juices after getting ahead in my work and homework once my husband came home to give me a little break from being “Super Mommy”.  My boys both have ADHD and are very high energy.  I have worked remote for over seven years, so all this is normal for me.  Sort of… I used to get a break to go out to brunch some times taking my boys in the jogging stroller and the dog and hang out at our favorite mom and pop restaurants after talking to my BFF while she is shuttling her girls and on her way to work. Oh, and singing along to the alternative music of the early 2000’s I love to run to while my boys sing along.  Oh, and I really miss periodically when I must travel locally for work taking my kids to Kid Park for a few hours as I go up to San Francisco for a in person meeting or seminar.  Ah and Flying on business trips while my husband and the baby sister are coordinated so the boys are cared for.  All this pre COVID flexibility in my work and life. 

However, just focusing on this narrative of women who are having a hard adjustment is a narrow view.  The conversation needs to pivot on how remote work can pushed and encouraged so that we bring diversity of more than just working moms to the business table? One way that comes to mind is governmental incentivization of businesses to convert as many positions as possible to remote employment.  This would not just bring working moms like myself to the table, but fellow people of color, caregivers of all gender identification, LGBTQ, and the disabled (or the preferred title of differently abled community).  I have personally been inspired by several people who work remotely so they can balance life and have a fair shake to embrace their differences and the benefits of an alternative perspective.  Which can be helpful in the business world.  

There are several studies in business administration and other business science aspects on how diversity adds to team/ organizational creativity and advanced problem solving also preventing group think.  However, the Forbes article, https://www.forbes.com/sites/tendayiviki/2016/12/06/why-diverse-teams-are-more-creative/?sh=55bfe61d7262 sums it up well for easy reading.  

Remote work offers a unique opportunity to help slow the curve long term and allow for more diversity, (not to mention lower traffic) and allow for more work life balance in times of serious national pandemonium.  When there are national emergencies having remote work allows for business to keep the world spinning.  This also keeps families strong when childcare is understandably done at home while working.  (We all have had a kid, cat, dog, or all the above try to be part of our background in a zoom call let us embrace it.)

However, this may potentially make some new business avenues for educators and child development workers.  The possibilities are endless to make opportunity for the economy with the use of remote work.  So, fellow Super Moms and all those out there reading late at night to have a break from the COVID Crazy in the world.  Hold on.  The world is not adapting as quickly as you but, this post COVID world will change and get better.  We all just got to stay strong and use the academic research to make this world work for all of us.

Sticking to the super hero theme my boys and I as super heros 2018-2019

Is it Authentic Leadership or an Excuse?

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By: Stephanie Diana Wilson- Eubank

There is a movement in trends of leadership called authentic leadership and in both on site and in remote workplaces authentic leadership as a skill is being perverted as an excuse for poor people skills and aggressive management behavior.  First let us define what authentic leadership is.  In layman’s terms it is a leader who is honest to all and is just genuinely themselves.  Not seeking approval from others so that the goals are the focus.

First off how is authentic leadership defined in professional capacity versus layman terms?  Forbes has a great article titled “What is Authentic Leadership” that you can check out for further clarification.  The link for that is, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/05/12/what-is-authentic-leadership/amp/  However, to sum up the article an authentic leader is someone who is able to be themselves and are results driven with a brand of personal honesty.  If interested there is also a great Harvard Business Review article, https://hbr.org/amp/2005/12/managing-authenticity-the-paradox-of-great-leadership for more info on authentic leadership. 

Now this article is not to disparage different learning or performance types.  Everyone has a type of manager they work best with, but this article is specifically for those in leadership roles who act badly to their employees and argue they are using authentic leadership tactics.  This article is to bring the topic of abusive managers.  Where my focus topic of my research is regarding remote employees these sorts of bad players also do more emotional harm for remote employees.  Forbes also has a great article on what is detailed as professional isolation which is a normative pitfall for remote employees as they don’t get to interact with management face to face as often.  Which can put remote people at a disadvantage at the start.  Which means managers must do a little more collaboration to help ease that issue so that it does not create a constant revolving door of hiring.  You can check out the Forbes article at https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/2019/02/15/beware-professional-isolation-is-more-than-loneliness/?sh=17a736712723. 

First off how is authentic leadership defined?  Forbes has a great article titled “What is Authentic Leadership” that you can check out for further clarification.  The link for that is, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/05/12/what-is-authentic-leadership/amp/  However, to sum up the article an authentic leader is someone who is able to be themselves and are results driven with a brand of personal honesty.  If interested there is also a great Harvard Business Review article, https://hbr.org/amp/2005/12/managing-authenticity-the-paradox-of-great-leadership for more info on authentic leadership. 

Many of us have had the boss like the meme from the office with the power object watch and the coffee mug saying, “Yeaaaaaa, I am going to need to you do this project in less time than we agreed”.  Or the manager that when you ask a legitimate question says, “you got to be f***ing kidding me” and starts to berate an employee for a simple question.   Or the manager who always says exactly what they are thinking with no filters.  My personal favorite has been a manager who throws items off desks and screams at people to get his way and HR explains away his behavior because he is a high producer and is, “passionate about his work”.  Yeah… someone’s “passion” should not require me to play dodgeball at work because he cannot accept federal agency guidelines for compliance.

However, Doctor Ramani who has been featured on several Youtube psychology channels, her own channel, and has lead Ted Talks on Narcissists and the abuses in all its forms.  This includes cases of narcissistic abuse within employment.  Here is a link to her interview at MedCircle titled, “Is Your Boss A Narcissist?” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P-5q0C31m4&feature=youtu.be .  In this the doctor analyzes she talks about how some managers have work place enablers who allow for managers to have all around bad or inappropriate behavior because they explain away the behavior as, “hey they get results” and/ or “hey they are mean but, you always can trust them to tell the truth”.  The truth is this is a perverted form of enabling narcissistic abuse and using the concept of authentic leadership as the excuse.    

In summary authentic leadership is not about who can be more of a jerk boss and call it honesty and result driven management.  That just perverts the concept of authentic leadership which is being one’s self enough to focus on tasks while still being a human.  When it comes to authentic leadership especially where remote employment is concerned.  Remembering in these COVID lockdowns as it reshapes our economy, we as leaders need to remember a little humanity and caring goes a long way.  And that humanity is the true sign of authentic leadership. 

Women Toning Down Academic Success in All Areas of Life

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By: Stephanie Diana Eubank (AKA Dr. Bear)

This is my first article since getting married to my wonderful husband David last August.  So, I am excited to write this article.

While celebrating our first Married Christmas together my husband and I were discussing the things we are grateful for in our relationship especially during this pandemic.  One thing that was brought up is the fact that my husband values that I am working on my doctorate.  I am thankful he loves me but; respects and supports my research.  When I was dating prior to meeting my now husband many of the men I met would comment to me about how my work towards earning a doctorate is a minus against me.  When I asked why I was told, “Dating a doctoral candidate is not the bragging right that it is for women”.  Which is interesting to me because, my husband always tells me how proud he is of my hard work for my educational goals and brags to everyone about how I am a doctoral candidate.

This got me thinking about how women throughout history or at least in my family’s history tone down their accomplishments for the sake of not overshadowing their husbands.  An example being my father’s mother gave up her pursuit to become an attorney to be a house wife.  My mother had to put her academic career on hold when she had me and my siblings to work part time as a one on one aid in special education.  She had to put off her goals of earning her four year degree till she was in her fifties. 

The list of woman I know who have put off their education or other work goals for family.  Which got me thinking about how often are women suppressing or toning down our achievements in the workplace?

There are a number of articles on the fact women are having to down play achievements to move forward.  Here is a list of some good articles to read on this topic.  You can find citations on these articles in

The lists of articles on this topic go on and on.  Showing this is a systemic issue of women having to tone down our achievements and suffering a bit of imposter syndrome.  Which, is where the research into remote employment comes in as a solution to many of the issues listed as reasons women are held back or are holding back.  Remote teams’ pre pandemic often are designed as what are called. “Dream teams”.  Which is where management designs the teams as the best of the best forgoing team dynamics concepts.  So, how people interact is less important than working with the best of the best.  Which leaves room for those who are high achieving to stand out rather than being named, “Over Qualified”.

I can speak from experience having companies turn me down for being too qualified.  During the recovery from the last recession I had a manager tell me the reason I was let go versus lower performing co-workers was that I was starting my path towards my doctorate and they knew about it.  As he had said to me, “I am laying you off because you are smart and will land on your feet the others don’t have the education you have to do the same”.  It was a hard lesson to learn to keep my academic goals to myself until I have staying power and let management know from there.  Now being experienced working from home while working on a doctorate is a more desirable trait.  For a man or woman.

As observed by my friends both men and women and my own experience during this pandemic I have had to be caring for my children while working and balancing other goals and life in general.   Productivity has been maintained, work has been stressful, but all the while surviving.  Remote employment has made more opportunities we just need to learn to adapt.  As we are isolating to protect each other from this pandemic we learn to show ourselves in the truest ways and go for what we want in this world. 

Work Cited

Ali, H. (2019, March 08). Four Universal Career Challenges Holding Women Back. Retrieved December 27, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2019/03/08/four-universal-career-challenges-holding-women-back/?sh=5a5110464396

Jaschik, S. (2018, March 21). Study finds female college graduates newly on the job market are punished for having good grades. Retrieved December 27, 2020, from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/21/study-finds-female-college-graduates-newly-job-market-are-punished-having-good

King, M., & Bell, G. (2020, March 24). One invisible barrier holding back women at work: The conformity bind. Retrieved December 27, 2020, from https://ideas.ted.com/one-invisible-barrier-holding-back-women-at-work-the-conformity-bind/

Padavic, I., & Ely, R. J. (2020, February 19). What’s Really Holding Women Back? Retrieved December 27, 2020, from https://hbr.org/2020/03/whats-really-holding-women-back

Vila-Concejo, A. (2018, September 4). 7 steps to success and what’s holding women back: Study. Retrieved December 27, 2020, from https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2018/09/04/7-steps-to-success-and-what-s-holding-women-back–study.html