32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irresistible Landmark Study of Women's Success Models, June 7, 2000
This book deserves more than five stars.
While many have theories about why women executives do and don't rise to the top, Carol Gallagher has done a real service by going out to find out what those who are succeeding have been doing that worked. She did this in a landmark study that involved personal interviews with 200 women who are either CEOs or within two levels of being CEOs in their Fortune 1000 companies. And, interestingly, she also interviewed many of their bosses (often males) including many CEOs. These latter interviews serve as a sort of control on the self-reporting of the women executives.
The book gets to the heart of the matter. I liked that. While almost all male MBAs aspire to be CEOs, a majority of female MBAs do not. You have to have the goal of going to the top before you can hope to be in the contest. This is the first book about women in business that makes that point, but it is a very important one.
The part of the book that absolutely delighted me was the effort put into dispelling myths about what it takes to succeed that were not proven out in the research. As an example, most women feel they have to have a powerful mentor. Gallagher finds that to be partially right: Women executives need a lot of advocates, not just one mentor.
Two other points in the book really delighted me. One was a thorough treatment of what relationships in the workplace should be for women. I often find women executives to have stalled thinking in this area. Women executives both need more relationships and more professional ones. The point is well explained.
I also liked the emphasis on being effective, rather than being perfect. All of us in business have seen people become ineffective in search of perfection. The point is nicely made here. Don't interrupt the CEO if she/he makes a small mistatement to the board. Your relationship with the CEO, and the CEO's relationship with the board are much too important to interrupt for something that minor. If you don't have all the data you would like, don't start off the presentation with an apology. Be accurate, and be both positive and confident.
The last part of the book is an excellent section on how to think about life choices (45 percent of the women surveyed had no children), and getting on a path that can lead towards and to the top.
I know of no other book of this calibre on this subject. I heartily recommend that all women and men executives read this book. The women can apply it directly and use it to mentor others. Men can do the same. Although the points and research are phrased in terms of women, the ideas apply just as well to men.
If you read only one business book this year, make it this one! In these talent scarce times, helping everyone become more effective at reaching their own goals at their own speed is the best thing we can all do.
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Going To The Top, July 16, 2000
As a business owner for over 20 years, I thought this would be a good book for my niece, but in fact found Carol's insights useful for my own purposes.
Not only is this book rich with insightful, common sense information, but most importantly to me is that the format makes it an easy read as Carol develops a framework and fills it in with lots of practical advice and first hand examples from executives that have been through the ringer.
I wish I had this book 20 years ago as Carol spells out a lot of lessons that I had to learn the hard way.
This book appeals to anyone, male or female, who is considering entering the business world, but especially for anyone who is already trying to learn the elements of success.
I've read numerous "How to" business guides and none put it all together like this one.
Thanks Carol!
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Informative, April 18, 2000
This book is great. A fast read even if you are not interested in climbing the corporate ladder. The author includes 'real life' stories from corporate executives to illustrate her points. Dispells some conceptions around making it in the business world without having to sacrifice your sense of self. Includes candid stories about the mistakes and troubles that women have faced in the business world, and creative solutions that they have come up with.
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