How Women Rise

Timely Resource for Addressing Default Behaviors That Impact Performance, Effectiveness, and Progress.
OK. I am a guy who bought the book, How Women Rise. Let me share some background, before I attempt to share the immense value of this resource.Sally Helgesen’s book, The Female Advantage, was read in 1996, my first year as an entrepreneurial organizational development specialist. I had not read many, if any leadership books penned by women in the ten years that preceded Sally’s book, and the title intrigued me. I read Marshall’s book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, in 2007; it was so good that I purchased Triggers shortly after it was published. That book helped me significantly with changing a number of interpersonal behaviors, which I still have to monitor.Leadership, the development of individuals and teams toward their perpetual effectiveness and performance potentials, is obviously not a one-gender issue. Most large organizations in the 1960s through 1980s thought so, as the management teams were predominantly male-oriented. As a soft-skills, content developer and classroom facilitator/trainer, I wanted to utilize every possible concept, resource, and idea that would resonate with learners and empower them to help their direct reports become confident, self-motivated, task-effective performers.I would say that How Women Rise is a solidly reliable resource for helping others, not just women, identify, then deal with the habits/default behaviors that might currently be holding them back. The book is VERY interesting!! While I chose to read the book sequentially, another reader might choose to review the twelve habits that block effectiveness, then investigate the few habit-chapters that seem to be most like them.The case study examples given in the book are specific, concise, and illustrate how the individuals are initially and negatively impacted by their then current blind spots. The individuals share how their less-than-effective performances impacted their relationships with their bosses and show how they eventually chose to respond more effectively to overcome those situations and significantly improve those relationships, gaining confidence and performance-momentum in the process.Before I typed this line, I went back into the book and read habit 11, Ruminating. Ruminators live in the past, and they are the predominant Kierseyian temperament (SJ) in organizations. They dwell on the past, trying to mentally improve what (or who) went wrong. The authors do an noteworthy job of explaining how rumination is a waste of time and energy, and they offer solid suggestions for helping move beyond it! The same holds true for each of the other eleven habit-chapters.This book would seem appropriate for use in undergraduate programs of all types. Why not identify and address habits that are probably already at work, as one approaches his or her studies, life, etc.?Finally, personality type theory suggests that Thinkers make their decisions objectively, based upon logic, facts, and truth, while Feelers make their decisions subjectively, based upon values and impact upon people. Two-thirds of the men are Thinkers, and one-third are Feelers. Two-thirds of the women are Feelers, and one-third are Thinkers. I am one of those men who makes feelings-base decisions.So, we have women who think like a man, and we have men who feel/make decisions like a woman. This may at least one reason why How Women Rise resonated with me. Kudos to Sally and Marshall for their most productive effort; it certainly fills a void that has been sorely needed!Bill Parker

An essential read
Finally a book that identifies the common pitfalls that hold women back from achieving the level of success they desire. I enjoyed the combination of the author’s writing styles and experience to make the points. A tapestry of ideas to consider and act on are threaded throughout. I love the idea of what may be holding me back is also rooted in a strength that served me in one point in time and with a few tweaks may serve me again.

This Is A Must Read!
I started reading this book back when I was looking to become a Supervisor two companies ago. A Director (female) had given me this book to read (borrow), and was coaching me to be the next female leader in a obviously male-dominated environment. It most certainly helped as I did actually get the promotion (well-deserved and overdue).I took a bit of a hiatus from the book as I then left the company and the person from whom I was borrowing the book from. Ever since I’ve cracked open this book to read further, I have literally advanced in my career. I’ve literally advanced 3 times in my career and now work for in a high place in my field. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, not just women, but anyone that needs a new look at how to approach things from a career perspective. I hate, though, that it’s “gender-specific” because I have male friends that identify as males (and straight) that do some of the things that this book is suggesting. Again, great read! Thank you for helping me advance my career and get to new heights!

Great book!
I received this book a few days ago, I’m at the half of ít and it’s amazing, like it so much so far!

Giid

This is a great book for women in leadership that based on years of research by two prominent authors.