Smart Women Take Risks: Six Steps for Conquering Your Fears and Making the Leap to Success [Hardcover]

Helene Lerner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2006

Take the plunge. Come out ahead.

There are certain risks you might feel uncomfortable making—but calculated risks are necessary to propel you to new heights in your professional and personal development. Every time you choose security over something new, you’re missing new opportunities—and the chance to live a happier, more fulfilled life.

As CEO of Creative Expansions, Inc., Helene Lerner coaches women on how to actualize their potential, increase their self-esteem, and reach their goals. Now, in Smart Women Take Risks, she shares her powerful 6-step program, revealing how you too can take smart, strategic risks born from careful thought and intuition-and create positive change in your professional and personal life.

Lerner helps you change your perception about risk-taking, and shows you how to determine whether a risk is a Best Bet, a Not Now, or a No Go. You won't risk blindly; you'll go in with your eyes wide open and commit to a doable goal that lets you move forward confidently without the overpowering fear of failure. Lerner gives you expert tools that will help you:

• Build and maintain a strong support team-a crucial step for successfully creating change
• Overcome procrastination, perfectionism, and second-guessing
• Vocalize your success (yes, it's ok to brag!)
• Keep your accomplishments “green” by continuing to build on them
• Apply these risk-taking principles to other areas of your life

Lerner shares inspiring stories and tips from women who stepped out of their own comfort zones, took leaps, and moved ahead with faith and confidence. she shows you how to harness the opportunities in your own life--and take risks that will push you to greater heights of success.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

CEO and television host Lerner's book aims to teach women they need to be bold, take risks and overcome insecurities to improve their careers. A combination self-help book and business manual, the book's six-step program includes choosing risks that make sense, recruiting mentors (and helpers) and bragging about the successes. Lerner writes in a simple style, but the content's not overly simplistic: she acknowledges that not every risk is a good idea, gives readers tools to discern worthwhile risks from bad ones, tells about how to handle having ideas shot down and provides tips on how to own up to mistakes. She also includes quizzes and exercises to help readers figure out priorities, personality types and the degree of "mind clutter." Scattered throughout the book are inspirational paragraphs about "first" women (first at MIT, first track and field gold medalist, first war correspondent). With section heads like "Whether You Have Achieved Your Goal Or Not - You Are A Winner!", the book can become too cheerleader-ish, but the mixture of personal stories and inspirational prose make this a fun and helpful guide to getting ahead.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Reading of women who have made it in business or chosen to carve out a different career route is always a revelation and a joy. Lerner, an author (Stress Breakers, 1985; Embrace Change, 1992), TV producer, and executive coach, sparkles when she presents the individual stories of successful women, from Jan Babiak of Ernst & Young to Liz Claiborne of the eponymous clothing company, in their own words. What does not work as well is her six-step program of risk taking; it is occasionally forced, usually glib, and, quite frankly, filled with many tools and charts others have used before. Each of the six steps includes exercises to identify specific strengths and weaknesses; to differentiate between, say, "stuck" and "forward moving" mind talk; and to calculate comfort with different parameters of risk. However, it espouses common sense and the art of truly listening to one's mind and heart. That, coupled with the 19 stories, can alone serve as a good life and work catalyst. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071467548
• ISBN-13: 978-0071467544
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,247,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For more than two decades, Helene Lerner has been addressing the interests of contemporary women. As a prolific author, independent public television host, Emmy Award-winning executive producer and workplace consultant, she covers a wide array of women's issues, such as calculated risk-taking, reinvention, breaking barriers, work-life balance, relationships and self-esteem. Since 1994, she has produced and hosted more than twenty televised specials under the umbrella of Creative Expansions, Inc. She received American Public Television's "MVP" award for her outstanding contributions to public television. Her professional career began as a teacher in the New York City public school system. Using her innate business instincts, she later pursued a career in sales and marketing during the 1980s, working her way up through the ranks of a national newspaper.

In addition to her published books and television specials, Helene maintains a private practice coaching individuals and groups, providing tools to increase their sense of individual empowerment. She also advises corporations and community groups on leadership and diversity issues, and delivers keynotes on a variety of related topics. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Helene holds an MBA from Pace College and a Masters in Education from City College in New York City, where she currently resides.

Helene is the founder of womenworking.com, one of the premier websites for career women. With exclusive features, resources, a multi-media blog, and a monthly career coach who interacts with visitors, womenworking.com is a valuable source of informal mentoring. The website has a robust social media presence, where Helene offers inspiration to loyal followers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart women (and men!) oughta read "Smart Women Take Risks"!, May 15, 2006

By 

Loree Lough "LoreeLough" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smart Women Take Risks: Six Steps for Conquering Your Fears and Making the Leap to Success (Hardcover)

After reading Helene Lerner's inspirational book, I found the courage to risk making dream come true...and started the company I'd been talking about for years: "The Leading Edge Writers' Studios" was an instant success, thanks in no small part to Helene's savvy, no-nonsense advice. A multi-published author myself, I know how much time and effort went into this thoroughly helpful 'learn by doing' tome. I recommend "Smart Women Take Risks" to students of my writing workshops...and anyone else (male or female!) who wants to turn wishes--personal or professional--into realities.

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart Women Take Risks, September 15, 2009

By 

Kelly Lynn Boyer "Avid Reader" (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Smart Women Take Risks: Six Steps for Conquering Your Fears and Making the Leap to Success (Hardcover)

Ladies! If you are in search of book that gives you hope, vision, and passion to fulfill your dreams... This book is it! It is inspirational and motivating. Lerner guides you through the steps to reaching your passionate goal. With insights from other successfully strong women, this book helps encourage all women to open their hearts, minds, and souls to making that ultimate sacrifice to risk it all for your dreams.