Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking That Block Women's Paths to Power

Research and Experience

When the three of us began our corporate careers in the 1980s, we believed that it was a matter of ten years before women would gain parity with men at all levels. It turns out that were we naive—very naive. Over the years, we did exactly what you are doing. We worked hard, became self-confident, achieved notable success, and gained the respect of our colleagues. Yes, we each experienced setbacks. We wondered many times what was really going on and why the world of business was hard to decipher, often disappointing, and sometimes downright unfair. But, like you, we pushed ahead. We managed hundreds of people, oversaw multimillion-dollar budgets, and executed mergers and reorganizations. On the way to the executive suite, ...