Overview

What if parenthood wasn't seen as a professional pause-but as a leadership accelerator? The Parenthood Advantage challenges long-standing workplace assumptions, revealing how becoming a parent sharpens the very skills modern companies need most: resilience, empathy, focus, crisis management, and a long-view perspective. Through powerful stories, real-world research, and actionable insights, this book invites leaders to reimagine working parents not as a liability-but as an untapped competitive edge. Written for executives, managers, and changemakers, The Parenthood Advantage explores how companies can build cultures that value the lived experience of parenthood-and thrive because of it. ""Donovan and Kaplan make an authoritative case for why parents make effective leaders."" - BookLife by Publishers Weekly The authors are working parents themselves, and bring decades of expertise in employee engagement, wellness, and workplace inclusion. As thought leaders and advisors to Fortune 1000 companies, they've helped organizations reframe talent development for a modern workforce-one that recognizes the lived experience of parenthood as a professional asset, not a detour. Mason Donovan and Mark Kaplan are Managing Partners of The Dagoba Group, a global consulting firm advancing inclusive leadership, employee well-being, and organizational culture, and Founders of The Parenthood Advantage, a consultancy that helps organizations build cultures where working parents are valued as leaders and contributors. They are also the authors of The Inclusion Dividend, a perennial best-seller leveraged in corporate and academic classrooms worldwide, as well as SET for Inclusion and The Golden Apple. Their work has been featured by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. Their work has been featured by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company.

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Table of Contents

Reviews

Donovan and Kaplan's comprehensive guide for business leaders highlights the unfair treatment, mismanagement, and mishandling of parents in the corporate workforce. The authors urge leaders to consider how new parents can be an asset to the company through their newfound resilience and emotional intelligence. They also call for society at large to change the way we view working parents, particularly women. By addressing disparities between parents and non-parents, mothers and fathers, and individuals with diverse backgrounds, the authors demonstrate how valuing parents benefits employees and companies alike. They also explore issues with paid and unpaid parental leave, flexibility, promotional opportunities, and how to gauge efficiency and productivity. Using in-depth research and real-world narratives, the authors delve into the personal and professional shift that happens when a career-driven individual becomes a parent. Each chapter provides reflective questions and thought-provoking conversation starters for business leaders and their employees. Touching on burnout, imposter syndrome, and healthy work culture, the authors demonstrate how parents' skills make them well-suited for leadership roles. ""The reality is that parenthood is one of the most effective leadership development programs available-only it doesn't come with a formal certificate or an executive training badge."" By showcasing the qualities of good parents such as persistence, organizational skills, time management, and empathy, Donovan and Kaplan make an authoritative case for why parents make effective leaders. Valuing parents also helps corporations stay competitive and keep their best workers: ""The companies that stop sidelining working parents and start leveraging their strengths will be the ones that thrive-retaining talent, building resilient teams, and creating cultures rooted in loyalty and long-term performance."" A helpful read for business leaders and new parents, this uplifting call to action urges companies to be innovators when it comes to adjusting societal views of parents in the workplace. Providing impactful anecdotes, insightful case studies, and thorough research, this powerful resource implores business leaders to create an ""equitable workplace for everyone."" -BookLife by Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Mason Donovan is the co-author of The Parenthood Advantage and a founding partner of The Parenthood Advantage consultancy. A certified wellness coach and seasoned leadership consultant, Mason has spent over two decades helping organizations build inclusive, resilient, and parent-supportive workplace cultures. His work focuses on aligning business strategy with the real-life experiences of employees-especially working parents. Mason is also the co-author of The Inclusion Dividend, SET for Inclusion, and the author of The Golden Apple, widely used in corporate and academic settings. He lives with his family in New England, where his personal and professional passions often intersect. Mark Kaplan is the co-author of The Parenthood Advantage and a founding partner of The Parenthood Advantage consultancy. With more than 30 years of experience as an executive coach and organizational development expert, Mark helps companies cultivate inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence, and parent-supportive cultures. His work is grounded in a deep understanding of how identity, well-being, and workplace systems intersect. Mark is also co-author of The Inclusion Dividend, and SET for Inclusion, and has advised global organizations across industries. He lives in New England with his family and is passionate about redefining leadership through the lens of care.

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