Episode 39: The surprising connection between parenting and leadership: discussion with Sharon Lim
Published on 1 July 2025 • Hosted by Dr Lisa Colledge
What happens when you stop treating leadership and parenting as separate roles, and start letting them inform each other?
That’s the question that Leadership and Team Coach Sharon Lim and I explored in our conversation for Culture by Neurodesign.
While I often talk about how parenting shaped my views on leadership, Sharon offered a powerful reversal: after decades coaching senior leaders, she realized many of the same tools could help her raise her three sons. Her experience reminds us that leadership is not something you only perform at work; it’s an attitude you embody everywhere.
It also reinforces a key message I share with team leads and executives: if you want to build inclusive, high-performing teams, start by understanding people as individuals, and honouring how they think and work, to build productive connections.
The leadership–parenting loop
Sharon didn’t start parenting with a theory. But when her sons were older, she asked them to read about different parenting styles. Unprompted, they agreed she had an “authoritative” style—not authoritarian, not permissive.
That balance of structure and flexibility, she realised, mirrored the leadership frameworks she was already using at work. It wasn’t about control—it was about clarity, mutual respect, and adaptability.
And that’s exactly the shift we need in team environments too, especially when working with people who bring different cognitive styles.
Leadership lessons that translate at home, and back again
No one-size-fits-all
Great leaders, just like wise parents, adjust their style based on the individual: their context, preferences, capacity, and cognitive style.
👉 This is the heart of neuro-inclusive team design. It's not about giving everyone the same treatment, but the support they need to be able to contribute meaningfully.Delegation builds trust
Letting go of control allowed Sharon to rest, and gave her family a chance to show up and contribute. The same principle applies at work: micromanagement stifles, while trust empowers.Self-awareness is non-negotiable
Sharon reminded us that the person struggling isn’t always the child, or the team member. It’s sometimes the parent/leader. And that’s okay, as long as we notice and respond with fore-thought and design.Frameworks + Flexibility = Strength
Whether guiding team members or children, Sharon found the best results came from setting clear expectations while allowing for individual expression.
👉 This is also foundational to the leadership of Neuro-Inspired Teams TM. Different people, especially neurodivergent thinkers, use different ways of working to reach the same goal. When we build structure but allow flexibility in how people engage with and contribute to it, we unlock better performance and wellbeing.
Why it matters
Sharon’s story highlights something I say often: neuro-inclusion isn’t about doing something special for a few people. It’s about designing environments where everyone can thrive. That means recognising difference, enabling autonomy within shared boundaries, and staying open to learning.
Whether you're leading at home, at work, or both, Sharon’s message is clear: your leadership tools are already in your hands. The challenge is to use them with care, awareness, and humanity. And it all starts with self-leadership!
Want to connect with Sharon?
🔗 www.linkedin.com/in/coachsharonlim
I’m Dr Lisa Colledge, and I help ambitious leaders build future-ready teams they trust to deliver now and adapt to whatever’s next — driving engagement, performance, and enduring resilience.
Learn more about building Neuro-Inspired Teams that outpace, outperform, and outlast your competition.
