WWAD (What Would Amma Do?)

The global leadership model rooted in Sri Lankan wisdom

- By Nishu Gunawardana

ACROSS the globe, from Scandinavian boardrooms to South African farms, and especially within the tea-scented homes of Sri Lanka, a quiet yet powerful management model thrives—it’s called motherhood.

Often overlooked by formal leadership theories, the way mothers manage life, family, crisis, and growth could be the very model modern organisations need.

While working in one of my previous organisations I was constantly reprimanded for being too “motherly” in my approach to managing my team. However, being a mum myself, I was just doing what I knew best. And it can work for organisations around the world.

It is time we say it plainly: If the world managed more like a mum, it might just be in better shape.

The unsung CEO in every home

In Sri Lankan homes, whether nestled in Colombo’s suburbs or deep in the central highlands, mothers—‘Ammas’—are running operations with limited budgets, diverse teams (read: families), and high-stakes emotional labour.

The Sri Lankan mother does not just cook rice and curry while balancing a baby on one hip. She negotiates with stubborn uncles, comforts anxious teens before their exams, and ensures the monthly salary stretches across school fees, utility bills, and religious donations. That is strategy, not just survival.