Going to the Top: A Road Map for Success from America's Leading Women Executives (Hardcover)

by Carol A. Gallagher (Author), Susan K. Golant (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Much has been written about the glass ceiling women encounter in business, but Carol Gallagher isn't having it. Of the 200 women executives she interviewed for Going to the Top, many had already found "windows" through the ceiling; many others, Gallagher says, will get through eventually. To her, the future looks bright for women in corporations: she notes they earn more than one third of all MBAs and more than 42 percent of law degrees. Women also hold close to half of all managerial and professional jobs. Sure, about 30 percent of those women leave corporate life, but the other 70 percent keep on going. It's for them Gallagher has written this guidebook.

What does it take to make it to the top in today's corporate world? Gallagher shows that the same qualities top male managers have--a desire to win, an ability to learn the complex unwritten rules of an organization, the emulation of role models--are absolutely essential for women, too. One large section of the book debunks female myths of achievement--that a single mentor will lift you to success; that endless networking is productive; that you can't afford to be nice and help others if you want to succeed. "If people trust you--if you can lead, build a team, and get the job done without alienating others--higher-ups will think of you first for promotions," Gallagher writes. The last section of the book presents strategies for juggling marriage, family, and career choices, and there's also a chapter for minority women. But it's chapter 12, "Fifteen Proven Strategies That Will Advance Your Career," that many will undoubtedly read first. Most guys should probably read this chapter, too, because ultimately, Going to the Top demonstrates that competence, leadership, and corporate political savvy are gender neutral. --Lou Schuler

From Publishers Weekly
Along with Linda Austin's What's Holding You Back? (Forecasts, Apr. 3), this book may represent the latest wave of women's career management books: instructions on how to break into the highest echelon of corporate life. Women occupy nearly 50% of managerial and professional roles, yet they account for only 3% of the highest level jobs: CEO, chairman, president, other top positions. While Austin's book looks at the glass ceiling from a psychological viewpoint, here consultant Gallagher supplies true-life experiences of 200 women from Fortune 1000 companies, such as American Airlines, American Express, Dow Jones and Wells Fargo Bank. She describes the factors that were critical to her subjects' success and offers practical and strategic advice for other high potential women, along with many brief stories and comments from interviewees. Among other points, Gallagher encourages the reader to take responsibility for profits and losses and to form alliances instead of networking. Gallagher also offers some tools for self-assessment and ideas for developing what she calls the CORE qualities: competence (the sum of experience, skills, talent); outcomes (the ability to demonstrate results); relationship management, within the company and with customers, suppliers and the community; and endurance. Gallagher's interviewees come off as smart, tenacious and extremely self-aware; many corporate women will welcome their rarefied perspective and solid advice. Agent, Bob Tabian; 10-city author tour. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1st edition (May 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670891517
• ISBN-13: 978-0670891511
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,356,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irresistible Landmark Study of Women's Success Models, June 7, 2000

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

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.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Going To The Top, July 16, 2000

By	Robert L. Brackett Jr (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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!

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, April 18, 2000

By	"adorebooks" (CA) - See all my reviews

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.