When a man strongly asserts his point of view and autonomy, he is hailed as a strong, competent leader. When a woman exhibits the same executive qualities, she is labeled a brusque, overbearing bitch.
This is not really news anymore, is it?
How can women leaders break through that brick wall of "bitch"? How can they manage gender expectations and still successfully climb the corporate ladder?
"BREAKING THROUGH BITCH: How Women Can Shatter Stereotypes and Lead Fearlessly" takes an authoritative, sometimes controversial approach, using stories from executives at the highest corporate levels to show how women can hone their innate skills, rise to the top, and be effective, outstanding leaders. It addresses why women cannot and should not "act like men."
It identifies the unique challenges of developing women leaders and offers strategies for how to overcome them. The characteristics of traditional leadership is male, not female, stereotypes. The stereotyped concepts of "woman" and of "leader" are quite different.
Women must demonstrate leadership in a way that bridges the expectations we have of them as women and the expectations we have of leaders. Generally, women build that bridge by demonstrating a democratic and interpersonally oriented leadership style.
The truth is that executive women temper their leadership behaviors with some stereotypical female traits and behaviors!
The women included in the research varied in their level of expression of femininity and their sexual orientation; they varied in personality type; yet the behavioral theme was the same. These women are being women: assertive, yes; driving, yes; in control, yes; but they have filed smooth the hard edges associated with stereotypical male leadership.
The Women's Leadership Blueprint is consistent with what one would expect among all successful executives--that is, striving to achieve the best, showing confidence, effectively influencing others, leveraging cognitive ability, and having awareness of organizational politics.
When Doing It All Won't Do: A self-coaching guide for career women. (ebook edition $0.99, Workbook Edition in paperback $13.41)
When Doing It All Won't Do: A Self-Coaching Guide for Career Women--Workbook Edition--Paperback $13.41