Episode 20 – The Legitimacy Gap: Why Fathers Still Hesitate to Take Parental Leave

What if taking three months off work after your child is born made you a better father - and a better professional?In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Gaultier, Product Marketing Manager at Kolecto, who shares a deeply honest story about becoming a father during a moment of professional transition. After closing his startup and questioning his professional identity, Gaultier chose to take three months away from work to fully experience the early days of fatherhood.What followed reshaped how he thinks about success, work, and the role fathers play in building the foundations of family life.Inside this conversation, you’ll discover:Choosing Presence Over Pressure: Why Gaultier paused his job search after his son’s birth - and how stepping away from work allowed him to truly become a father.The Hidden Value of Paternity Leave: How early time with his son built confidence, strengthened their bond, and created the foundation for a lifelong relationship.Fatherhood as Leadership Training: The unexpected professional skills developed through parenting - from empathy and prioritization to sharper focus and better energy management.The Legitimacy Gap: Why many fathers still hesitate to take longer leave, and how cultural expectations and a lack of role models hold men back.Reframing Commitment at Work: Why taking parental leave doesn’t reduce ambition - and how companies can recognize parenthood as a meaningful life experience that builds stronger professionals.This episode is a powerful reminder that taking time for early parenthood isn’t a career risk - it’s an investment in family, leadership, and long-term wellbeing.Whether you’re a father-to-be, working parent, manager, or HR leader, this conversation challenges the assumptions around paternity leave and shows what becomes possible when fathers give themselves permission to be fully present.In this episode we cover:00:00 Introduction & Gaultier’s Story04:19 Choosing to Pause Work and Take Time With His Newborn09:07 What Fatherhood Changed About Work and Leadership15:56 Navigating Career Fears as a New Dad22:23 Why More Fathers Should Take Parental LeaveAbout KundraKundra is building the future of parental leave.We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.Want more from each episode?Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkitsFollow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadershipFollow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes