phyllish
Written on Sep 6, 2020
My rating is 4.5 stars
Over the past year, leaders at my office began to examine the women are treated differently than the men to make sure we are all treated fairly. Having come across Lead Like a Woman, I was curious to see if any of the issues we've discussed are mentioned here. And as a (new) leader at my office, I was very much looking forward to learning how to improve in my position, and especially to do this without having to become someone or something I'm not. So I gladly grabbed a copy.
Now, keep in mind that I am not a fan of the "up with women - down with men" mentality, so I was a little cautious as I began reading. I really didn't want to read about that! And I was quite pleased to find early on that the author made it very clear this would not be the case. Yay! Score one point already.
I do tend to read non-fiction more slowly than fiction, so it took several sittings and several weeks for me to finish. It was well written and informative and I found myself resonating with the things that were said. As I read through the chapters on the strengths, complete with examples and quotes from other women in leadership, I found myself nodding my head in agreement and being pleased that I can continue to use my unique giftings but didn't feel like I was encountering anything new earth-shattering.
This changed, however, in the section about potential pitfalls. Several of the examples of traps women leaders (and I would say women in general) fall into and ways they can change the thinking that keeps them caught in patterns that are not healthy or good for their career resonated with me. I was glad for the examples and the coaching of what to do in these situations.
I also appreciated the insight that while some of the wrong attitudes of men toward women in the office are not likely to change anytime soon, there are appropriate ways to handle them that allow women to be assertive without being perceived as aggressive.
Written from a Christian minority woman's perspective, the book is well balanced, interesting, and relevant with advice that falls in line with conservative Christian doctrine, and common sense.
Whether you are a woman in a position of leadership, or even a non-leader in the workplace, I recommend Lead Like a Woman. Men would probably also benefit from reading it to get more of a perspective of what it is like for women and to increase their awareness and understanding. Personally, I recommend a physical copy instead of an ebook for this. My Kindle copy was just not as easy to use as a reference...
Read my full review at Among the Reads
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.