When women step away from work to have children, we often speak about what the industry loses. But we should also ask what it gains when they return.
Yet the pipeline remains leaky, especially for women. Many leave mid-career, particularly after maternity, just as they’re reaching their potential as future leaders.
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We often hear this framed as a personal decision or a natural exit. But in my work as a leadership coach specialising in construction, I see a different story.
These are not women stepping away from ambition. They are stepping into a new identity, one that, if recognised and supported, could be a powerful leadership asset.
Misunderstanding motherhood
We have misunderstood what happens in motherhood.
‘Mum brain’ is usually seen as a drawback – foggy thinking, forgetfulness, lack of focus. But neuroscience tells a different story.
In our Mums in Construction research project, participants described coming back to work with stronger values alignment, sharper decision-making, and a greater sense of purpose
Suzanne Lindsay Holt, Inside Coaching
What we’re actually seeing is neuroplasticity: the brain reorganising to sharpen empathy, heighten risk awareness, and fine-tune prioritisation.
These are not deficits. They’re executive skills. The kind that construction needs more of.
That is the thinking behind the Inside Leadership Pathway, a development programme specifically to support returning mums in construction, engineering, and technical sectors.
The goal isn’t to fix them. It is to help organisations recognise the leadership skills they already bring and to build environments where they are able to grow.
Leadership readiness
In our Mums in Construction research project, participants described coming back to work with stronger values alignment, sharper decision-making, and a greater sense of purpose. For many, the challenge wasn’t capability. It was being seen.
These stories aren’t outliers. They’re signals. But to act on them, we need to change how we define leadership readiness and who we assume is most likely to step into it.
Starting with small changes in recognition, tailored return-to-work support, and creating space for people to reflect on how their identity has shifted and what new strengths that shift has surfaced.
This is why I created the Still One to Watch conversation guide. It is a free tool for line managers and allies to support returning mums to rediscover their confidence, reconnect with their leadership potential, and stay on the path to progression.
Because this isn’t about special treatment. It’s about recognising leadership in all its forms and refusing to let quiet exits become the norm.
Suzanne Lindsay Holt is a leadership coach, EMCC senior practitioner, and founder of Inside Coaching.
