20/07/2026
Children as a career stopper has become gender neutral.
That follows from the example of Jens Spahn, parliamentary leader of the CDU, Germany’s main government party, which has played out over the past few days. Mr Spahn and his husband have become parents through a surrogate mother abroad. The tricky thing for Mr Spahn is that not only is surrogacy illegal in Germany, but he himself in the past had supported the ban and never changed his standpoint officially. Under pressure, Mr Spahn resigned.
Ignoring, for a moment, Mr Spahn’s reputation for pushing boundaries to exert power, we’re looking at a typical challenge of combining career and family. Surely, Mr Spahn’s employer could have prevented this negative outcome. But most organisations, as women leaders and dual career couples know only too well, still don’t. Therefore, it is up to leaders themselves to proactively engage with their employer to negotiate a win-win outcome that retains talent while creating conditions for a work-life balance, which permits leaders to lead a happy home life and fulfil their professional ambitions. Since Mr Spahn did not choose that path or perhaps thought he didn’t have the leverage to do so, the case ends with both parties losing out.
Want to know how? Look in the comments for further information and practical advice if you’re a parent (to be) or an organisation looking for a solution to retain talented parents.
