What do you think?
Rate this book
Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life – A WSJ Editor's Insights on Women, Careers, and Parenting
A retired Wall Street Journal editor and mother compares two generations of women—boomers and GenXers—to examine how each navigates the emotional and professional challenges involved in juggling managerial careers and families.
For the first time in American history, a significant number of mothers are heading major corporations, including General Motors, Ulta Beauty, and Best Buy. Over the past several decades, women have made gains throughout executive suites. Yet these “Power Moms” still struggle with balancing their management responsibilities with raising children. Joann S. Lublin draws on the experiences of the nation’s two generations of these successful women to measure how far we’ve come—and how far we still need to go. Lublin combines her own insights with those of eighty-five executive mothers across industries—including experienced public-company chiefs such as Carol Bartz, the first woman to command Autodesk and Yahoo; Hershey’s Michele Buck, DuPont’s Ellen Kullman, ITT’s Denise Ramos, and WW International’s Mindy Grossman—and twenty-five of their grown daughters. Lublin reveals how trailblazer boomers, many now in their sixties, often endured sweeping disapproval for their demanding management careers, even as their own daughters sometimes rejected their choices. While the second wave of executive mothers—all under forty-five—handle working parenthood with less angst, they still lead stressful lives. Power Moms provides lessons and advice to help today’s professional women, their families, and their employers navigate this challenging terrain. Lublin looks at the trade-offs mothers are too often forced to make between work and family and the root causes, including the dearth of large-scale paid parental leave and other family-friendly policies. While it celebrates the gains women have made, Power Moms makes clear how much more must be done to make being a working mother easier.
For the first time in American history, a significant number of mothers are heading major corporations, including General Motors, Ulta Beauty, and Best Buy. Over the past several decades, women have made gains throughout executive suites. Yet these “Power Moms” still struggle with balancing their management responsibilities with raising children. Joann S. Lublin draws on the experiences of the nation’s two generations of these successful women to measure how far we’ve come—and how far we still need to go. Lublin combines her own insights with those of eighty-five executive mothers across industries—including experienced public-company chiefs such as Carol Bartz, the first woman to command Autodesk and Yahoo; Hershey’s Michele Buck, DuPont’s Ellen Kullman, ITT’s Denise Ramos, and WW International’s Mindy Grossman—and twenty-five of their grown daughters. Lublin reveals how trailblazer boomers, many now in their sixties, often endured sweeping disapproval for their demanding management careers, even as their own daughters sometimes rejected their choices. While the second wave of executive mothers—all under forty-five—handle working parenthood with less angst, they still lead stressful lives. Power Moms provides lessons and advice to help today’s professional women, their families, and their employers navigate this challenging terrain. Lublin looks at the trade-offs mothers are too often forced to make between work and family and the root causes, including the dearth of large-scale paid parental leave and other family-friendly policies. While it celebrates the gains women have made, Power Moms makes clear how much more must be done to make being a working mother easier.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published February 16, 2021
101 people are currently reading
751 people want to read
About the author
Joann S. Lublin
4 books10 followersAuthor biography:
Joann S. Lublin is the former management news editor for The Wall Street Journal. She also was its career advice columnist for nearly 30 years. She remains a regular Journal contributor. She shared its Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for stories about corporate scandals. She won the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gerald Loeb Awards, the highest honor in business journalism. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with honors from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in communications from Stanford University. She lives in Dresher, Pa.
She is the author of "Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life.'' It will be published Feb. 16, 2021 by Harper Collins. Her highly popular first book, "Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World,'' appeared in October 2016.
HarperCollins published my first book along with nearly 20 other business books in 2016. But "Earning It" was the only business book it nominated that year for a prestigious PEN Award in the nonfiction category. The PEN Literary Awards are the most comprehensive in the United States, according to its website.
I started writing poems and stories when I was a very young girl. I daydreamed about being a famous novelist one day -- and even devised a pen name!!
As a published author, I especially enjoy autographing copies of my books
If you pre-order "Power Moms" before Feb. 16, I will send you a personalized, autographed book plate. See my website for details: joannlublin.com
Joann S. Lublin is the former management news editor for The Wall Street Journal. She also was its career advice columnist for nearly 30 years. She remains a regular Journal contributor. She shared its Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for stories about corporate scandals. She won the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gerald Loeb Awards, the highest honor in business journalism. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with honors from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in communications from Stanford University. She lives in Dresher, Pa.
She is the author of "Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life.'' It will be published Feb. 16, 2021 by Harper Collins. Her highly popular first book, "Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World,'' appeared in October 2016.
HarperCollins published my first book along with nearly 20 other business books in 2016. But "Earning It" was the only business book it nominated that year for a prestigious PEN Award in the nonfiction category. The PEN Literary Awards are the most comprehensive in the United States, according to its website.
I started writing poems and stories when I was a very young girl. I daydreamed about being a famous novelist one day -- and even devised a pen name!!
As a published author, I especially enjoy autographing copies of my books
If you pre-order "Power Moms" before Feb. 16, I will send you a personalized, autographed book plate. See my website for details: joannlublin.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 13, 2021
An interesting approach to explore the different experiences of two generations of women in powerful careers. But the storytelling is devoid of any journalistic curiosity or substantive human interest and ultimately uncovers little, if any, new insight.
March 2, 2021
This book was fantastic. It's not only about moms of one generation, but it's also about the adult children of the next generation, which is genius to contrast and compare. The author interviewed 111 women, 86 of those were women who had children and became executives from two generations, this generation, the boomers, and the generation of millennials and Gen Xers, women in their thirties and early forties. I appreciated how she threw away the concept of work-life balance and called it work-life sway.
The book isn't just about the demands of kids at home. It's about all the other things that impinge on your work life. When work becomes such a central part of who you are as a person, when you lose a parent, when you have a child who's ill, it affects work when you have really anything going on. The book is more a guidebook to how to be a working person worldwide, how to balance a giant career and anything, because life happens.
To listen to my interview with the authors, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/joa...
The book isn't just about the demands of kids at home. It's about all the other things that impinge on your work life. When work becomes such a central part of who you are as a person, when you lose a parent, when you have a child who's ill, it affects work when you have really anything going on. The book is more a guidebook to how to be a working person worldwide, how to balance a giant career and anything, because life happens.
To listen to my interview with the authors, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/joa...
April 19, 2021
I liked this book as it gives you a much needed reinforcement that women can have a career and a family.
I didn’t learn a lot of new stuff, but definitely felt less alone in my journey.
I didn’t learn a lot of new stuff, but definitely felt less alone in my journey.
Read
April 4, 2021The book is organized in to different topics about challenges of being a mother and having a career, also about the influence the executive mom's have on their daughters. The author also juxtaposes the issues that first generation of power moms faces with the second generation and already we see how much better it is for working women now. I wish I wrote down notes of each power mom and their story. I would have retained much of the information and anecdotes, than reading about one story or the other about one of the 86 power mom under a topic.
This has some tips on how to ditch the working mother guilt by practicing what the author calls work/life sway, that may not be applicable to every working mother. For example, not everyone has helpful family members who live close by or can afford to have an au pair or nanny on payroll, or having one parent stay at home which is not desirable or even practical with most families. But some of them are great like arranging workday getaways and involving children at work.
The fundamental problem in USA that the book touches on a little bit is there are no government mandated parental leave. We are at the mercy of the employer to provide it. Even if the mother does take the parental leave. the repercussions of not being considered seriously at work or career getting stalled are debilitating.
The second problem I see and probably the biggest is the public perception of working women as an able caregiver. This is not covered enough in my opinion.
Overall, its an excellent read. the author has interviewed 86 executive mothers of two generation which I can imagine is a huge project. Some of their experiences were relatable to non executive working parents (competing priorites, managing health) some unrelatable. It really is nice to see these iron women as regular women who make mistakes, face emotional challenges and have to live with the decisions that they made, good or bad, for themselves and their families.
This has some tips on how to ditch the working mother guilt by practicing what the author calls work/life sway, that may not be applicable to every working mother. For example, not everyone has helpful family members who live close by or can afford to have an au pair or nanny on payroll, or having one parent stay at home which is not desirable or even practical with most families. But some of them are great like arranging workday getaways and involving children at work.
The fundamental problem in USA that the book touches on a little bit is there are no government mandated parental leave. We are at the mercy of the employer to provide it. Even if the mother does take the parental leave. the repercussions of not being considered seriously at work or career getting stalled are debilitating.
The second problem I see and probably the biggest is the public perception of working women as an able caregiver. This is not covered enough in my opinion.
Overall, its an excellent read. the author has interviewed 86 executive mothers of two generation which I can imagine is a huge project. Some of their experiences were relatable to non executive working parents (competing priorites, managing health) some unrelatable. It really is nice to see these iron women as regular women who make mistakes, face emotional challenges and have to live with the decisions that they made, good or bad, for themselves and their families.
June 25, 2025
I’m conflicted on this one. Though the book was engaging, well-written, and contained some practical advice, I do expect the conversations the author had with the interviewed powerhouse women were much more interesting than the book.
I’d have loved to hear more about why the women chose the path they did. Finances? Passion for the work? Did they consider other options? Were they satisfied with their chosen path?
The book contains the experience of some daughters of executive women who had conflicting feelings toward their mother’s successes. I would have appreciated diving into that more and reading more about the impact of the mother’s career on her children. Is there data on the best thing for them?
As many reviewers have mentioned, some of the tips provided were geared toward executive women who can afford certain help. That’s fine, and it’s fair to consider quality childcare an investment, but is not the reality for every working mom.
Maybe I’m conflicted about the book because I’m conflicted about my own path. I was hoping the book would motivate me that the next role with more opportunity is the best thing for my kids. In some ways it did. And some of the “success” stories I found heartbreaking.
I’d have loved to hear more about why the women chose the path they did. Finances? Passion for the work? Did they consider other options? Were they satisfied with their chosen path?
The book contains the experience of some daughters of executive women who had conflicting feelings toward their mother’s successes. I would have appreciated diving into that more and reading more about the impact of the mother’s career on her children. Is there data on the best thing for them?
As many reviewers have mentioned, some of the tips provided were geared toward executive women who can afford certain help. That’s fine, and it’s fair to consider quality childcare an investment, but is not the reality for every working mom.
Maybe I’m conflicted about the book because I’m conflicted about my own path. I was hoping the book would motivate me that the next role with more opportunity is the best thing for my kids. In some ways it did. And some of the “success” stories I found heartbreaking.
April 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and the high level nature of the writing, learning the trends of multiple generations of power moms. I did enjoy the idea of work-life sway, and how work-life balance is something not realistic.
I wanted a deeper dive into the lives of the moms and why they made certain choices.
I wanted a deeper dive into the lives of the moms and why they made certain choices.
June 12, 2021
Power Moms is filled with interviews with amazing women leaders who share their struggles and who broke a ton of glass ceilings. Being a “power mom” top executive and mother, the women interviewed shared their struggles, lessons learned, and best advice.
As a mother, I found their stories both inspiring and frustrating. While women have come a long way, it certainly was not without a ton of sacrifice. Balancing work and motherhood has caused a lot of issues and doubts for me, so I found the sections on which mother-daughter pairs were interviewed really eye opening. I feel better about my career choices and feel empowered to have truly meaningful conversations with my children about my choices.
I love, love, love the concept of work life sway vs balance. Genius. Participating in a book club at work with other power moms and hearing directly from the author have been amazing experiences, and I have learned so much, both from the book and discussions, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
As a mother, I found their stories both inspiring and frustrating. While women have come a long way, it certainly was not without a ton of sacrifice. Balancing work and motherhood has caused a lot of issues and doubts for me, so I found the sections on which mother-daughter pairs were interviewed really eye opening. I feel better about my career choices and feel empowered to have truly meaningful conversations with my children about my choices.
I love, love, love the concept of work life sway vs balance. Genius. Participating in a book club at work with other power moms and hearing directly from the author have been amazing experiences, and I have learned so much, both from the book and discussions, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
July 16, 2021
I wanted to like this book so much. I really liked all the anecdotes and facts because I am a details person but really only found any sort of relief from one chapter highlighting successes women have had relieving the mom guilt. I wish the book was more focused on tips tricks and success stories of moms who have made it work with their families amd been able to hold a strong career.
May 21, 2024
In the evolving landscape of family dynamics, traditional cultures often fail to support mothers adequately. Yet, mothers have the extraordinary capacity to govern the corporates and nurture their families. Modern times necessitate support for mothers from their workplaces and homes, not solely from family units. Progressive corporate policies have begun recognizing this need, offering substantial maternity leave and benefits. Additionally, the once rigid family roles are now more adaptable, with responsibilities like household chores and monitoring children’s homework being shared. The future envisions working conditions imbued with greater flexibility, catering to the unique needs of mothers, particularly in the postpartum phase, thereby empowering them to thrive both professionally and personally.
April 21, 2021
Maybe I missed the point of this or didn’t give it enough time. Maybe I’m not the target audience. But I dnf this because as a modern working Mom I can’t buy that your advice is going to help me when in the first 10% of the book nannies are referenced multiple times. GTFO with that nonsense. I hope it gets better/more useful as it goes along but I haven’t got time to find out. I’m too busy not having a nanny!
July 13, 2021
I picked up this book because the author was invited to do a presentation at my work. I ended up picking up the book mostly out of curiosity.
I found the book very well written and enjoyed it. The women described in the book are incredible. They do however have more resources than most people. That is in part due to being power moms in very high positions.
Good read. Made me think about the things women have to deal with.
I found the book very well written and enjoyed it. The women described in the book are incredible. They do however have more resources than most people. That is in part due to being power moms in very high positions.
Good read. Made me think about the things women have to deal with.
February 10, 2022
The author narrates this book with her own experience as a working mom. She interviewed many executives/CEOs/founders regarding the goods, the bads, the struggles and how they juggled between career and kids.
What I enjoyed:
- All cases are presenting in this book which allows readers to know that other people having the same problems
What is not working:
- Most of these moms are already financially secured to do what they had done. I am, on the other hand, just starting my career. There are minimal helpful insights for me personally
- Sometimes, controversial topic was brought up. Not necessary.
What I enjoyed:
- All cases are presenting in this book which allows readers to know that other people having the same problems
What is not working:
- Most of these moms are already financially secured to do what they had done. I am, on the other hand, just starting my career. There are minimal helpful insights for me personally
- Sometimes, controversial topic was brought up. Not necessary.
July 5, 2021
Many useful strategies to help you balance work and other sides of your life, especially family. For too long people have felt guilt trapped on both sides: at work because they are seen as less committed because they have a family; and at home because their families think they only care about work.
October 13, 2021
My best friend shared this book with me when I was at a juncture in my career. Do I chose an exciting new opportunity that was challenging personally? Throughout my transition, I read bit by bit and these stories truly inspired and shifted my perspective.
I need to own my choices and offer myself grace to change course as needed.
I need to own my choices and offer myself grace to change course as needed.
June 25, 2023
I wasn't the audience for this...
This wasn't what I was expecting! I think I was expecting something more relatable/self-help-like for women in leadership, but this is very much focused on executive women. So some of the anecdotes are very unrelatable seeing as these women do have a lot of money. Interesting read nonetheless!
This wasn't what I was expecting! I think I was expecting something more relatable/self-help-like for women in leadership, but this is very much focused on executive women. So some of the anecdotes are very unrelatable seeing as these women do have a lot of money. Interesting read nonetheless!
September 24, 2023
Very well researched book about the journey of working mothers and how the pioneering ones differ from those today, both in how they managed and what their options were. Lublin goes on to include “ten best life hacks” for being a working parent, six differences between the generations, and how companies are accommodating employees with families.
December 13, 2023
This book interviews executive mothers who had to fight to be taken as seriously as moms with accommodations. If they had a four day work week, they had to fight vicious comments from men like, "I wish I could take an extra rest day." Daughters of these high achieving women were also interviewed and they could recount their childhood and now their present experience as working moms.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2024
I saved this book in my cart over a year ago, and I finally purchased it last month. It consists of lots of insights from interviews with executive moms from the author’s generation, and from more recent moms. While quite a bit of progress has been made, she highlights the work to be done.
I’d be curious to read a revised version of this…written post-pandemic.
I’d be curious to read a revised version of this…written post-pandemic.
February 28, 2021
A thorough look at women executives, past and present and the challenges they all faced
Especially liked the author's personal reflections!
Shows how far corporate executives have come and how far they still need to go
Especially liked the author's personal reflections!
Shows how far corporate executives have come and how far they still need to go
February 25, 2021
Good book for understanding what work life was like for executive moms in boomer generation vs gen x. Not a lot to take home that I didn’t already know, but interesting.
March 24, 2021
Great range of practical strategies
August 6, 2021
Fantastic research and examples! I would have loved this a few years ago when my kiddos were even younger.
May 3, 2023
Interesting to hear all the different perspectives and see how far women have come in finding ways to be the mom they want to be and progress their career!
July 8, 2023
Fascinating and educational read. I like the reference to Work-Life-Sway rather than Work-Life-Balance #powermoms #worklifesway
Read
January 31, 2024DNF- this audiobook was very overwhelming with all the data. It wasn’t what I was looking for.
May 1, 2024
Tons of stats, quotes, and dates. Really relatable and interesting information. I think I was just expecting more tips and tricks and pep talks over stats.
May 21, 2024
Some interesting aspects, liked getting a view into some of the lives of moms but it didn’t offer much advice or conclusive evidence for things. Just lots of paragraph experiences from very wealthy moms who can afford nannies, etc. which is not most people’s narrative. “How did you do it all?” I paid a nanny more than most women probably make at their jobs…
April 17, 2025
🎧 3⭐️
This was fine. Didn’t learn much new or revolutionary. May be a better read if you’re earlier in your career.
This was fine. Didn’t learn much new or revolutionary. May be a better read if you’re earlier in your career.
January 2, 2022
This is a fantastic read showing clear examples of what it is like to be a high-powered female executive and raise a family. The author interviewed dozens of women across industry and age range to get a sense of how they do it. It differs, and it is interesting to read about what tools they use and what barriers they face. The pandemic and its impact of women in the workplace makes it even more timely.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews