Caregiving is often viewed as a personal duty separate from our professional lives, instead of another layer of that life, one that can strengthen and improve how we live. Caregiving has strengthened my skills rather than detracted from my role in the C-suite, providing a masterclass in how to lead.
Caregiving is core to my success on my corporate leadership path. It doesn’t exist on the sidelines of my career but has played a significant role in my growth. In every aspect of my life, from being global inclusion officer at Ogilvy and cofounder of several ventures, to motherhood, marriage, and even hosting my podcast, I lead in spaces that demand empathy and strategy. The lessons learned from sleepless nights, navigating healthcare decisions, and balancing emotional labor alongside executive duties have been instrumental in shaping the way I lead. It’s taught me resilience in times of uncertainty, adaptability in rapidly changing environments, and a deepened sense of empathy that transcends into the workplace.
I’ll never forget the day we discovered my daughter had a severe allergy. She’d accidentally eaten something at school, and we had to drop everything and rush to the ER. In the middle of a packed workday, I notified my team, shifted priorities, and once she was safe at home, I used the evening to catch up. That moment reinforced that caregiving teaches daily resilience, focus under pressure, and the ability to lead with heart.
In a world where corporate cultures increasingly demand human-centered leadership, caregiving is not a detour from executive growth but a path that fortifies it.
4 tangible ways caregiving strengthens leadership:
- Resilience becomes your foundation: At its core, caregiving is a daily exercise in resilience. It is about showing up even when exhaustion looms, problem solving under pressure, and finding patience in moments of chaos. These very qualities mirror the demands of leadership. When leading global initiatives, the resilience I’ve honed through caregiving becomes my anchor. The silent strength propels me to navigate complexities with grace and confidence.
- You adapt in real time: Schedules shift. Emergencies happen. Caregiving builds the muscle of agility. That skill becomes invaluable when leading through crises, managing cross-functional teams, or responding to evolving market conditions. When we scaled initiatives into Latin America, the ability to flex, listen, and adjust quickly allowed us to lead with both strategy and cultural awareness.
- Empathy becomes a leadership superpower. Caregiving in tandem operates similarly to vulnerability. This proximity to real-life challenges fuels empathy, a quality often discussed but rarely practiced in corporate corridors. You learn how to read between the lines, anticipate needs, and lead with patience. These qualities build trust in teams and drive inclusion that is not performative but lived. During intergenerational conversations in Asia-Pacific countries, deep listening shaped how we created space for everyone’s voice to matter.
- You prioritize people, not just productivity: Imagine if corporate cultures embraced the principles learned through caregiving: resilience, adaptability, empathy. What would change? In my work with The Brotherhood Program and the 30for30 initiative, I’ve witnessed firsthand how integrating these values reshapes team dynamics, strengthens organizational trust, and drives sustainable impact. Caregiving doesn’t just inspire leaders to be better, but it compels us to build better environments for those we lead.
How leaders can practice care inside their companies
According to a 2025 KPMG survey, 76% of working parents believe that becoming a parent has increased their motivation at work. Furthermore, 83% of C-suite executives who are working parents report that their companies encourage open discussions about the challenges of managing work and parenting. These statistics underscore the deep connection between caregiving and leadership resilience and the importance of organizational cultures that embrace these dual roles.
Leaders can develop and practice these principles at work, by following these tips.
- Check in with genuine curiosity. Replace “Do you have bandwidth?” with “How are you managing today?”
- Lead by example. Show your team that you take mental health and out-of-office time seriously.
- Give flexibility that matters. Let employees shape the way they work based on real life.
- Normalize asking for help. Encourage vulnerability by being open about your own needs.
- Identify caregivers on your team. Offer mentorship and resources that reflect their reality.
Caregiving is not a detour from professional growth; it is a crucible for it. The leadership skills honed through caring for others are needed in today’s evolving corporate landscape. For those of us balancing both, it’s a testament to our strength, adaptability, and unyielding commitment to leading with heart and purpose. Authentic leadership, after all, is just another space to extend the resilience, empathy, and adaptability we practice daily.
Tope Ajala, global inclusion and impact officer at Ogilvy, and host of podcast Life to a Teee.