Each and every day women take a lead role within our families, our social circles and in the workplace, but women rarely call this leadership. Lois Frankel’s See Jane Lead: 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work is a wake-up call to all women. Frankel helps identify the attitudes and barriers that keep us from assuming leadership roles and from reaching our full potential.
“Nice girl syndrome”
Afraid to be called the dreaded B-word, women often suffer from what the author calls “nice girl syndrome.” Many of us continue to exhibit behaviours that we were taught as children. We take care of others before ourselves, we are often afraid to take the lead or take action because we don’t want to disappoint others, and we are overly eager to please everyone.
These days, women don’t have to act like nice girls or like men in order to get ahead. Frankel challenges the idea that in order for women to succeed in business they have to adopt historically masculine traits. She feels that in order to move forward in this day and age we need a new leadership style: one that women are more naturally inclined towards.
The first chapter contains a women and leadership self-assessment quiz that allows the reader to identify both her strengths, and her opportunities for growth. Each subsequent chapter focuses on one leadership quality including:
• strategic thinking
• risk taking
• influencing
• coaching
• team building
• emotional intelligence and likeability
• entrepreneurialism
Learn by example
Most chapters begin with examples of ways women have already been demonstrating these qualities in their personal lives. Have you ever gotten married or bought a home? Then you’ve been taking risks. Have you negotiated a lower price on a loan or convinced an elderly parent to move to a nursing home? Then you’ve been influencing others.
Throughout the book, Frankel uses inspirational personal stories and tips—99 in total—to encourage the reader to embrace these qualities and to develop strategies for putting these skills into practice not just in our personal lives, but also in the workplace.
Lead to show an example
She ends the book with an important chapter on raising our daughters to take the lead. Her advice is timely and will help us ensure that we do not raise a new generation of “nice girls,” but instead, raise women who are comfortable with their roles as leaders and are pushing themselves to work at their full potential.
Frankel is very open and honest about the challenges facing women in leadership positions today. By using a combination of inspiring personal stories, quizzes, charts and practical tips, Frankel has compiled an incredible array of material to inspire anyone to take the lead in not just their personal life, but also on a professional level. After reading this book you will feel empowered to break through the glass ceiling and tackle your next obstacle, your next project or your next job, with power and confidence.
About the Author
Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. is president of Corporate Coaching International, a California-based consulting firm that specializes in executive coaching, leadership development and team building. Dr. Frankel is also a sought-after keynote speaker and bestselling author. She lives in Pasadena, California.
Author: Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D.
Number of pages: 278
Publisher: Warner Business Books
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