EP.08 | S1 | The Discipline of Boundaries: Caroline Koech on Managing Executive Demands and Family Life

Leadership does not stop when you leave the office. It carries on at the dinner table, at school pick-ups, and on the late-night call home. In this episode of SheShapes Africa, host Caroline Mbugua sits down with Caroline Koech, Executive Director of the East African Communications Organisation (EACO), for an honest conversation on balancing executive demands with family life, drawn from her own experience as a mother, a wife, and a leader who travels often. Giving 100% where you are Caroline is clear that it is not a perfect balance. What works for her is giving her all at work, giving her all at home, and learning when each needs more of her. The hard stop After moving from the GSMA to the World Bank during COVID, Caroline found herself working from early morning until late at night, with the laptop open at home. When she saw her children feeling it, she set a hard stop on the workday for the time they come home. Guardrails that hold up Caroline and her husband share calendars so that one parent is always home when the other travels. She blocks out school pick-ups openly in her workday, plans around important school events, and calls her children before school and before bed when she is away, with a family conference call at an agreed time. Dealing with guilt Caroline explains why she talks openly with her family about the reasons behind her role, how she schedules travel to protect the weekend, and why she chooses to focus on the opportunities her work creates instead of the guilt of being away. “Guilt is something many women carry along at their workplace, at home. Sometimes we feel like you’re not doing enough, at work or even at home, because you’re kind of split between the two. But really that is not the case, because when I’m at work I give 100% at work, and when I’m at home I give 100% at home. But it doesn’t mean I’m always there at all times. Just give your best when you’re there.” - Caroline Koech, Executive Director, East African Communications Organisation (EACO) You cannot do it alone Asking for help is not a weakness. Caroline talks about sharing responsibilities at home, leaning on a large extended family, and building a support system that can fill the gaps. She also shares how she settled her children in Kigali after relocating from Nairobi, including getting to know the parents of their new friends. The takeaway is practical: put limits around work, bring your family into the reasons behind your role, and build people around you who can step in when you cannot. Hosted by Caroline Mbugua HSC. — An initiative by Caroline Mbugua HSC In partnership with THOP Institute Produced by ASER45 Agency