Mojdeh Bahar

Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services
NIST

The past year has added a level of stress to the daily lives of business leaders that was unimaginable before March 2020. As someone who has sustained achievement, what advice can you give to the Top 100 Women on how they take care of themselves while trying to help so many others (home, work, community)?

We all know self care if critical, but also very hard in stressful times. I adhere to a routine and that helps me. I also find my happy place in reading both poetry and prose and taking long walks after my work day and on the weekends. The added bonus on the weekends is that I get to spend time with my daughter and sometimes other family and friends, as we walk.

How do you and your other Circle of Excellence honorees use your influence and achievement to help the women who want to grow to your level of success?

By being present and finding opportunities to give back, to coach and mentor other women. To make sure everyone has a voice, to serve others by being aware of their viewpoints/challenges in an organization and help come up with solutions.

What do you see as the greatest issue afecting professional women today and how do you and other leaders lead change around this issue?

During the pandemic, I see the effacement of the demarcation between work and family life as a challenge. Women feel that they have to be simultaneously present at work and at home. It is important that all leaders appreciate the new realities brought on by the COVID19 pandemic and honor their employees’ specific situations. Also, many studies show that the pandemic has had a dis- proportionately negative effect on women. More than ever, we need to be understanding, supportive and empathetic leaders who empower and enable our employees to do their best under a new reality.