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See Jane Lead: 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work

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In her previous books Ms. Frankel tended to write from a negative viewpoint. She would say something like here are a hundred things you shouldn't do. She got tired of interviewers asking if she was advising women to be mean and nasty, some even used the dreaded 'B' word:[...] This time she has turned her writing around to the positive side and points out 99 things that women should do.

What I found to be the best two chapters in the book are towards the end. Chapter 8 is Women as Entrepreneurs. Early in the chapter she gives a short self-assessment test. It's pretty good, but I think leaves out two all important questions: 1. Can you stand to have anyone over you as a boss, and 2. In your own mind do you really have a choice or is this something you have to do. Most entrepreneurs I know would put the answer to these questions at the top of their decision tree.

And then there's Chapter 9, Raising Our Daughters to Lead. Little girls are often taught that they fit professions like nurse, stewardess or something else that isn't at the top. But there's no reason they shouldn't be told that they should be the doctor, not the nurse, and if you want to work on an airplane, fly the damn thing, don't serve drinks.

I bought this book because I thought it was a book on current leadership practices aimed at women who want to understand how their gender may be influencing their leadership style. After reading it I can say that some women would find my first sentence to be true. I do not happen to be one of them; however, I do not think it is fair to judge the book against my expectations.

This book is aimed at women who need encouragement that they have the skills needed to be a leader. Dr. Frankel gives many examples of how the general life-skills women tend to develop in US culture (eg., organizing a carpool) can be translated into the workplace. While the book does give a rather general overview of the elements of leadership in the workplace the coverage is superficial.

That having been said, I do think that the book is very positive and encouraging and would be very helpful to women who need a bit of help seeing that they really do have what it takes to be a leader.

Lois P. Frankel challenges the assertion that in order to succeed in the business world, women must adopt traits that are historically considered masculine. Through her own studies, Frankel has determined that the characteristics typically associated with the female psyche are, in fact, the same traits that make women more qualified for leadership roles. In See Jane Lead: 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work and in Life, Frankel explains her reasoning and provides a plan for women to take advantage of the instincts they may have once believed to be a hindrance to their careers.

A quiz allows women to determine which aspects of leadership can be personally strengthened. Frankel then spends a chapter elaborating on each aspect, enabling you to create a plan of action to take advantage of these skills. She encourages the reader to skip straight to the chapters that are most relevant to their personal needs and spend more time studying the techniques listed.

Frankel's advice doesn't end with career advancement. Adequate time is also spent transferring the lessons of leadership to successful parenting. She punctuates her tips with short bios of influential women who may or may not be well known, but who made their way into leading roles by taking advantage of their feminine qualities. A helpful reading list follows the main content.

See Jane Lead should resonate well with women everywhere. For centuries, women have managed the intricacies and conflicts of raising a family, leaving them well-qualified for influential roles in the workforce. Frankel brings to light the barrier of self-doubt that women frequently create, and shows why it is critical that women step up to the plate and fall into their natural roles as world leaders.

Lois P. Frankel, PhD is a prominent life coach and the author of Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers; Stop Sabotaging Your Career: 8 Proven Strategies to Succeed--In Spite of Yourself; and Overcoming Your Strengths: 8 Reasons Why Successful People Derail and How to Get Back on Track, among others.

Please note I bought the audio book. I have to admit that after only a few chapters I was verbally agreeing with the author. This book differentiates "management" from "leadership" in such an AWESOME way. There are a lot of truths in the book and it helped me "see the light" regarding my own professional experiences and mishaps. Because women are becoming a much larger force to be reckoned with in the workplace, times are a changin'. Other topics include "taking risks", how to be a leader, and it's very crafty for the author to have lots and lots of coaching tips through the entire book with references to other great resources (books). I think that women will be empowered and motivated by this book and will run out into the world and start leading in their professional lives instead of feeling like they have to conform to the old school way of corporate America. The truth in this matter is that Corporate America is changing (although rather slowly) and women are going to continue to take on leadership roles and have a lot to offer corporate America and offer a different and effective approach to leadership. This is not to say that a traditional man's approach is completely incorrect, but improvements can be made to increase productivity and motivation. This book is all about showing women they have the skills to lead people and manage businesses.

Lois Frankel's books (NICE GIRLS DON'T GET THE CORNER OFFICE, NICE GIRLS DON'T GET RICH) have been significant in changing the way I do business. I no longer protect jerks, tilt my head when in a conversation, prove myself the miracle worker only to be expected to do the same again. I introduce myself by my full name and now naturally receive the respect I at one time could only give. Upon identifying my liabilities, these practical solutions became immediate triage to very real types of slow professional suicide. In SEE JANE LEAD, Dr. Frankel suggests how to transpose our assets as women into effective leadship techniques in the workplace. This book is about strategy (even how to use those vaulable lessons from high school cheerleading) and how to hone and focus those assets to lead the pack. Though not always a comfortable read, (really, what type of serious and effective self examination ever is?), the goal is how to help women maximize their effectiveness as leaders. So, Dr. Frankel, thank you. You've done it again.

Every so often I run into a career book that, even while trying to motivate the female reader to achieve more, tries to simultaneously contain her in a stereotype of "what women do" and "how women think" and "who women are." It frustrates me as a female reader, because many of these generalizations don't apply to me at all. Seeing as how I AM a woman, it can only mean that the statements are neither true nor applicable to all of its readers. Unfortunately, this is one of those books.

Early in the book, the author explains how she asks a group of people to name leaders they admire. (What's implied, of course, is that they're naming women they admire.) She then goes on to say that Mother Theresa is always named - every single time - and that Mother Theresa embodies the "female" characteristics with which women identify.

I have never once named Mother Theresa in making this list for myself. I think of Rachel Carson, Jane Goodall, Nicole Barbe (Madame Cliquot), etc. I should have stopped reading at that point, because the sweeping generalizations she imposed on both her (presumably female) reader and women overall carried through the entire text. And none of them applied to me, a female reader.

This book is for very meek women. It is for women who lack a fundamental understanding of the business world, and will not propell any reader to truly "lead."

I've read two of Lois Frankel's books, "Why Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office" and "Why Nice Girls Don't Get Rich." And personally while I still enjoyed this book, it didn't quite live up to the same level of insight as the first two books of hers that I've read. It does, however, still have merit. As it shows how some of the traditional things that women do such as juggling different schedules and the like are actually factors that contribute to us having the ability to excel in leadership roles in the workplace. We just don't realize that we have those leadership qualities! And Lois Frankel does an excellent job of pointing how the time is ripe for women in leadership, especially since the old style of command-and-control leadership doesn't suit the needs of modern day people. And the new style of leadership through inspiration is one that we women are excellently suited for. So I do highly recommend this book. And I'm glad I bought it. One special treat in it that I enjoyed was the "Ain't I A Woman?" by Sojourner Truth. Just that excerpt makes the whole book fantastic.

I borrowed this from the library a few summers ago, and I plan to actually buy it before I graduate from college and (I hope) enter the workforce in a few months. I really like the way Dr. Frankel translates the strengths that females often have into success at work; I don't think it is fair or effective for some of us women to try to work within the masculine constructs that are usually considered the keys to success.

The self-evaluations were good to get you started on thinking about your own leadership. I find that it is hard for me to apply abstract concepts about leadership to my own past and future experience, but Frankel's concrete points make it easier.

See Jane Lead is worth the read, and probably worth keeping around.

Excellent gift for the woman just entering the work force and for the woman who is dealing with the good ole boys at work.

The feminization of leadership. What a fascinating concept! Are women finally poised to take over the driver's seat?

In her easy, comfortable writing manner Dr. Frankel contends that changes in the world have precipitated the demise of the traditional "command & control" style of leadership; highly skilled and educated people want to be led not managed.

The author makes many common sense connections which I must admit have never occurred to me. Naturally, the innate qualities that we possess as nurturers, caretakers and accommodators lend themselves to relationship building, but she takes it a step further by suggesting that relationship building is key to leadership. Another interesting tidbit - our biggest assets for attaining leadership, as opposed to men, are: flexibility, collaboration & multi-tasking. To gauge your own ability to lead, she offers in-depth self-assessment charts and specific coaching tips to achieve your goals.

Sprinkled throughout the book are the personal experiences of successful women such as Mary Kay Ash and Debbie Fields. Dr. Frankel shares her experiences as well. I found it refreshing that she didn't sugarcoat her road to success; she candidly talks about her mistakes and self-doubts immediately creating a bond w/the reader.

From my personal perspective, as the mother of two daughters and two granddaughters, I regard this book as required reading for parents and daughters alike. Dr. Frankel has numerous, insightful suggestions for parents that will subtly impact their daughters' futures to lead.

If now is the perfect time in society for women to assume more leadership roles, then the timing of the release of Dr. Frankel's book to facilitate this end is perfect as well.