Customer Reviews

How She Does It: How Women Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Rules of Business Success

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Margaret Heffernan has written her second book after "The Naked Truth" which I found enlightening, encouraging and helpful. In "How She Does It", Heffernan zeroes in on "entrepreneuses" as she calls them in her first book, to better understand how women run their businesses compared to men.

Here are the reasons I think this is a great read:

1. She talks from a position of having "been there, done that" and is able to add a credible commentary and context to the subjects she is talking about, and drawing deeper conclusions that may not have been possible for someone merely reporting on the subject.

2. She is realistic - she is very careful to point out that despite being successful business leaders, these women still face barriers and obstacles with their male colleagues and/or peer group. For example, she talks about a woman who decides to take her business private after she is repeatedly undermined by the traditional white middle aged men on her board, despite her obvious success in growing her company and taking it public.

3. Her analysis is intelligible and concrete - being structured around specific themes where she sees women doing things differently than men. For example, she highlights "value based leadership", as do a lot of business writers these days, but where she distinguises herself, in my opinion, is that she backs up this claim with very specific, concrete examples of day-to-day actions her subjects take (e.g. National Van Lines and their philosophy of training their drivers differently and more thoroughly than the competition, down to being able to talk to individual drivers on a first name basis whenever they visit headquarters), as well as the impact these practices have on a macro level.

This is a great book to read if you want to understand what it takes for a woman to be successful at running a business, while not entirely giving up core parts of your belief system unique to women, and more importantly, derive some encouragement from other successful role models. This is not a how-to book that lays out the twelve steps you need to take to become a successful business leader if you are a woman.

Margaret Hefferman has written the definitive book on women entrepreneurs that is a well-researched and engaging guide to how we do it. She has done it well. Whether you have your own business, are contemplating starting one or just want to learn from those who have succeeded, How She DOes It is the perfect playbook for success---the women's way.
Hefferman's interviews are a goldmine of truths from inspiring women from whom we can learn... to honor ourselves and NOT imitate the male model of business ownership. How She Does It is a fascinating read that made me feel proud of the women forging the future of business.

If you're expecting a feminist manifesto here, you won't find it. Margaret Heffernan, CEO of five companies, lets stories do the talking as she shows how women manage their businesses and break new ground. In fact, whether you're male or female, your business can benefit from the principles of these entrepreneurs. Anyone with an open mind can adopt the book's key points, attitudes and cultural guidelines, as reflected in an array of educational and often humorous stories. getAbstract thinks Heffernan's cast of female business leaders points entrepreneurs in the right direction and offers plenty of ideas to consider while on the road to success.

I applaud Margaret Heffernan for writing this book. Having worked 17 years for a global, multi-billion dollar corporation, I can totally relate to her findings. I do believe that empathy plays such a strong role and is missing in our MBA-run companies. Our 6th sense does matter. And, there is such a thing as the glass ceiling in traditional businesses. Congratulations, Ms. Heffernan. I loved the book and have recommended it to all my women friends.

The women in Heffernan's book redefine power and find success on their own terms. An inspiring look at a new model for business success, based on a new set of rules. An essential addition to the library of any entrepreneur or businesswoman.

Ah, the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial life...for a woman. Finally, we get companions, colleagues, a community and a coach. Clearly, the author has been there and done that and has lived to tell not only her own lessons but the lessons of some other fine women who she clearly has wisely selected.

Not only does Margaret weave in her own deep wisdom and experience but she incorporates her very own fine art of storytelling to deliver not only the messages but the deeper meaning behind those messages of the women she writes about. Her choices of stories cover a wide spectrum and I cannot imagine a women entrepreneur not identifying with more than one of them.

This book is bound to touch and teach any reader in the midst of their entrepreneurial career, at a crossroads in that career or just beginning to think about the possibility.

As a thirty-plus entrepreneur myself, the book provided immediate support, encouragement, as well as head nods and smiles. Margaret is a straight talker. She describes the uniqueness of our contributions to the leadership of our companies and shows us where we still need to do some growing. Her last chapter is inspirational and a strong charge to leaders of all organizations to consider the contribution that women already make and can continue to make to the changing landscape of organizational life.

Be aware that this is absolutely not only a book about women. Any male entrepreneur or business leader can lean a great deal form this perspective and straightforward advice and ideas.

The takeaway from How She Does It is less about diversity than it is about alchemy. The CEOs profiled in the book have built profitable, high growth businesses without venture capital -- quite a feat in itself. Heffernan profiles dozens of companies who have created something out of virtually nothing, and that alone makes this book recommended reading for all entrepreneurs. It's a pity that most of these companies are private, because they would all be attractive investments.

I just finished reading Margaret Heffernan's eye-opening new book, How She Does It. I hope you'll do the same. Whether you are currently running a business, hoping to start a business or simply fascinated by interesting women and their stories you will find it a compelling read. My own work is based on gender differences and Margaret does a great job highlighting the leadership styles of men and women. The stories she uses to illustrate her points are compelling; this book is a must read. Marti Barletta, author, PrimeTime Women & Marketing to Women

Margaret Heffernan has an important quality--curiosity. Her curiosity has helped create a great book on women entrepreneurs. The women she has interviewed are inspiring and interesting, and forthcoming about their successes and mistakes. It is a wonderful read and an excellent addition to your library.

This book is about the current growth and success of women-owned businesses. It is more an inspirational book FOR WOMEN who want to start a business than an instructional book on how women actually start them. And since the title refers to the latter rather than the former, it is hard to rate this book particularly high. After reading the book I think the title should have been: "Women Can do It, and Why They Do It."

I plucked this book from a shelf in the business section of Barnes & Noble last weekend when I noticed it had a 2007 copyright date. I thought the book would be something I could recommend to my SCORE clients, many of whom are women. But I don't make it a practice to recommend inspirational fluff. And that is the way I view this book.

The book is divided into three parts as follows:

I. Fire in the Belly, Skin in the Game (Chapters 1-3)
II. It Ain't What We Do, It's the Way that We Do It (Chapters 4-11)
III. The Only Failure is Not to Try (Chapters 12-14)

From reading the titles to the three parts can you see how this book is about "how she does it?" And to make matters worse, look at the headings for the 14 chapters listed below. Do they look like chapters that help to explain "how she does it?" I think not.

1. The Need to Achieve
2. Zeitgeist
3. Niche is Nice (and Margins are Marvelous)
4. The Value of Values
5. The Power of People
6. Leadership as Orchestration
7. Customer Love
8. Improvisation
9. Help!
10. Staying Power
11. Money Isn't Everything
12. M&A: Marriage and Acclimatization
13. Birth of a Saleswoman
14. The New Norm

Society has been changing dramatically during my lifetime. I was born in 1962. Many of my female classmates from elementary school went on to college. Half my classmates at law school were women. And it seems that most of the women going to college (and law school) are going to work and making careers for themselves in the business world. I'm told that this has not always been the case. Women used to simply become homemakers.

But anybody who works for a W-2 today knows that it is hard to get ahead financially working for someone else. And if you are a woman working for a W-2, then it is even harder to get ahead financially because many of the powers-to-be in the business world still think of women as homemakers or wanta-be homemakers. So what are women doing about it? The answer is simple: starting their own shops.

This book was one of stories. I didn't particularly like it. But it was OK. 3 stars!