The Best Leadership Advice CEOs Learned from Their Moms

There’s a certain kind of advice that sticks with you for life. It’s the kind you hear at the kitchen table, on the way out the door, or in the middle of a hard day. Somehow, it keeps showing up when you need it the most.

For many leaders, some of their earliest and most enduring lessons didn’t come from mentors or management books, but from their moms.

In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked Vistage members, Chairs, and speakers to share the advice that shaped both who they are and how they lead. What came back is a collection of wisdom rooted in resilience, accountability, kindness, and the discipline to keep going when it matters most.

These reflections show that long before they were leading companies, they were learning how to lead their lives. Here’s the best leadership advice CEOs learned from their moms.

Note: Responses condensed and edited for clarity.

My mom used to say, “We are all the product of our choices. Make the best choice you can!” It was a solid way to ground my decision-making for long-term results.

Cathy Moulton
President, Thomas Wynne LP
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Vistage member since 2017

My mom taught through example: Give for others (American Heart Association, Girl Scouts Troop Leader), never judge (she never said anything negative about anyone. Ever!), and use your skills (She was a bacteriologist in 1954. How many women were scientists at that time?!). I have yet to live up to her example, but I try!

Carol Eversen
Area Managing Partner and CMO, Chief Outsiders
Long Valley, New Jersey
Vistage member since 2022

“No one can treat you in a way you don’t allow yourself to be treated.” She worked in a very male-dominated industry back in the 70s, so she had some great stories about holding her own.

Melissa Ortiz
Colusa, California
Vistage speaker since 2024

My mom taught me to be nice. Vistage taught me how to be nice as a CEO.

Mark Fackler
La Jolla, California
Vistage Chair since 1991

During a tough stretch, my mom told me, “Get out of bed, dust yourself off, and start the day.” I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, but that simple, loving, no-nonsense advice has stayed with me ever since.

George Janson
New York, New York
Vistage Chair since 2019

It was a 3-step process, coming from my mom, the therapist: 1) Acknowledge your feelings. 2) Decide what has to be done. 3) Do it. This simple model allows for noting how you feel, then reframing what you have to do and then doing it. That short step 1 allows you to experience the pain, fear, etc, but then get back to business!

Scott Schwefel
Founder and CEO, Discover Yourself. Inc.
Excelsior, Minnesota
Vistage member since 2006

My favorite advice from my mom was, “Drink your coffee strong and black, otherwise just get yourself a tea.”

Ronald Brodie
Voorhees, New Jersey
Vistage Chair since 2004

My mom taught me that if you reach for the roof, you may only land on the ground. But if you reach for the stars, you may land on the roof.

Adam Shapiro
President, SalesReformSchool
Peachtree Gardens, Georgia
Vistage member since 2011

My mom was strict about one thing growing up: after every birthday or holiday, we wrote a handwritten thank-you note. I definitely didn’t appreciate it as a kid, but it ended up becoming one of the most valuable relationship-building habits in my business life.

There’s just something powerful about taking a moment to personally acknowledge someone. Maybe it’s a client who trusted you, a friend who showed up for you, or someone who gave an especially thoughtful gift. Calling out the specific thing you appreciated and reflecting it back to them creates a deeper connection. People want to feel seen. A handwritten note does exactly that.

It can be a little harder now that so many people aren’t sitting in offices every day, and you may not have a home address. But the principle still holds. Send a thoughtful text. Record a quick video. Make it personal. Make it fun. Even a small gesture of gratitude can leave a lasting impression.

Justin Bieganek
Founder Brand Advisor, Mercury Creative Group
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Vistage member since 2025

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