3 tips for CEOs planning to take parental leave

1 year ago

beritaja.com

Cory Siskind is nan laminitis and CEO of Base Operations, a threat intelligence package institution based successful Washington, D.C.

My institution just had its champion 4th ever. As its laminitis and CEO, I americium proud to opportunity that I wasn’t location for astir of it.

I had a bully excuse, though: I was connected parental time off raising my first child. Since starting this company, I had not taken much than 1 week off, which included marrying my very diligent husband. When I tried to schedule a income position nan aforesaid time we had our civilian ceremonial astatine City Hall successful San Francisco, he rolled his eyes.

Needless to say, I was anxious astir taking clip off. Baking that small muffin was nary easy task and I was not judge really I would respond erstwhile she was earth-side. But I wanted immoderate due clip disconnected and nan opportunity to get to cognize her and myself successful this caller role.

I reached retired to respective of my investors, asking them to link maine pinch CEOs who had taken parental time off and was introduced to respective antheral CEOs who sheepishly told maine they only took a week aliases two.

I yet sewage a lead connected a CEO who had taken immoderate clip off, but to nary one’s surprise, she was excessively engaged to talk to me. Fair enough! However, I did get awesome proposal astir taking time off while starring a company. Here are a fewer things I’ve learned:

We were caller to this level of planning, but this was an fantabulous opportunity to mature our process and springiness everyone a consciousness of intent and guidance successful my absence.

Tell group you will beryllium taking much clip disconnected than you intend to

You will want to show group that you will beryllium emailing from your infirmary room and taking calls while nursing. “You’re not really going to beryllium capable to measurement away,” galore group told me.

My wise friend and investor from Mindset Ventures, Jules Miller, advised, “Tell everyone you are going to return 12 weeks, and if you want to travel backmost earlier, great. But you ne'er cognize what this acquisition will propulsion astatine you.”

She was right. When my girl was 28 days old, our location flooded. We had to battalion up everything and move 3 times successful 3 weeks. Because I had not afloat recovered, I threw my backmost retired from nan moving and could not moreover clasp my baby. I was grateful to Jules for her sage proposal and nan elasticity to genuinely cheque retired and get my life together.