How Great Women Lead

The Remarkable discoveries about what drives and sustains successful women leaders. Based on five years of proprietary research, How Remarkable Women Lead speaks to you as no other book has, with its hopeful outlook and unique ideas about success. It's the new "right stuff" of leadership, raising provocative issues such as whether feminine leadership traits (for women and men) are better suited for our fast-changing, hyper-competitive, and increasingly complex world. The authors, McKinsey & Company consultants Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston, establish the links between joy, happiness, and distinctive performance with the groundbreaking model of Centered Leadership. The book's personal stories and related insights show you the magic that happens when you put the five elements of Centered Leadership–meaning, framing, connecting, engaging, and energizing–to work. They include: • How Alondra de la Parra built on her strengths and passions to infuse her life with meaning and make her way in the male-dominated world of orchestra conducting • How Andrea Jung, the CEO of Avon, avoided a downward spiral when the company turned down by "firing herself" on Friday and re-emerging on Monday as the "new" turnaround CEO • How Ruth Porat's sponsors at Morgan Stanley not only helped her grow but were also her ballast for coping with difficult personal and professional times •How Eileen Naughton recovered after losing her dream job, landing on her feet at Google and open to a new leadership opportunity • How Julie Coates of Woolworth's Australia makes energy key to her professional success, with reserves for her "second shift" as wife and mother How Remarkable Women Lead is both profoundly moving and actionable. Woman or man, you'll find yourself in its pages and emerge with a practical plan for breaking through at both work and in life.

LEAD LIKE A WOMAN “Rich with proven, practical knowledge and insights from highly successful women that you can put into action immediately to create your executive presence, be viewed as ‘leadership material,’ and maximize your opportunities.” —Nina McLemore, Founder and CEO, Nina McLemore, Inc.; founder and former President, Liz Claiborne Accessories; former member Executive Committee, Liz Claiborne, Inc. “A fabulously insightful and powerful book for women who aspire to business leadership. Relying on decades of experience and research, the authors reveal key insights and successful strategies, including practical how-to advice, to en¬able women to hone and enhance their inherent leadership strengths. The book provides women with a compelling and straightforward blueprint for accelerated business success! This is a must-read for women and for all mentors and coaches of women!” —Richard Falcone, Chairman, Xperior-Consulting, Inc; former Chairman/CEO of Securus Technologies, Inc; and former AT&T Senior Vice President “Sharon Hadary and Laura Henderson have written a book that will be a blueprint for success that will inspire women in business for years to come—and not a moment too soon, given women’s steadily expanding influence in business. The authors have combined personal insight, research-based knowledge, and real-life lessons in a thought-provoking guide that will benefit women just beginning their leadership journey and women at the pinnacle of their professions. How Women Lead is a celebration of the perspective and power of successful women. This book belongs in every leader’s personal library.” —Maria Coyne, Executive Vice President, Consumer and Small Business Segment Head, KeyBank; member Executive Council, KeyCorp IT’S A NEW WORLD FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP. Did you know that: . . . companies with more women in high-level positions report better financial performance than those with fewer women at these levels? . . . 40% of all privately held businesses are owned by women? . . . more than half of all professional and managerial positions are held by women? . . . the number of women earning $100,000 or more has grown at a faster pace than it has for men in the United States? . . . 6.3% of the top earners in the For¬tune 500 companies are women? Women are moving into leadership roles in business, government, and the military, and they’re gaining positions of increasing stature and higher salaries. BUT . . . women’s upward movement is not matching the rate of their movement into professional and managerial positions. It is time to own your destiny. Gain the confidence and know-how you need to navigate it all. Your roadmap to achieving your aspirations, How Women Lead provides hard-won wisdom from women who have reached truly impressive heights in their careers. Written by two women’s leadership experts who are themselves successful leaders, How Women Lead gives women the information they need to become high-potential leaders but don’t get in business school: how to build a career on their own terms, gain the critical business management skills needed to advance, and advocate successfully for themselves. Whether you’re already in the leadership pipeline, contemplating your next career move, or are working to empower women in business, the lessons of How Women Lead will show you the sky’s the limit when you combine women’s leadership strengths with sound business acumen.

"A groundbreaking, deeply reported work from CNBC's Julia Boorstin that reveals the key commonalities and characteristics that help top female leaders thrive as they innovate, grow businesses, and navigate crises--an essential resource for anyone in the workplace"--

Sixty inspirational women, from many walks of life. All have changed the world in a variety of fields. Among them are politicians and artists, journalists and teachers, engineers and campaigners, fire fighters and film stars. Together they form an arresting gallery of portraits, each one illustrated with original photography by Brigitte Lacombe. Some have led their professions; some have broken new ground for women; some have inspired changes through relentless endeavour. All were chosen for their ambitions and achievements and all tell their stories in their own words. For girls, it can be hard to identify role models in our society. This book will help and inspire women everywhere to realize their hopes and ambitions.

Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women celebrates the incredible and inspiring stories of 25 women leaders in politics, business, sports, activism, and more, all written in fairy tale form. It is part of the award-winning Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series. Reach for new heights with Vice President Kamala Harris. Organize voter registration with Stacey Abrams. Spread messages of kindness with Lady Gaga. And captain a team of Olympic gymnasts with Aly Raisman. This collection of 25 stories includes the most beloved stories of leadership from the first three volumes of the New York Times best-selling series, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. And also features 11 brand new tales of women’s activism, bravery, and vision. Rebel Girls Lead celebrates the leadership of women from Michelle Obama to Malala Yousafzai. It is illustrated by female artists from around the world.

In boardrooms and lecture halls, on the field and at home, strong female leaders are making a statement around the globe. In How Great Women lead Bonnie St. John and her teenage daughter, Darcy Deane, explore the qualities that motivate some of the world's most powerful women. Through engaging, out-of-the-spotlight interchanges, the authors discover commonly held values, behaviors, and attitudes, as well as the subtle, special skills inherent in female leaders. From the ethics of Dr. Condoleeza Rice to the fortitude of Hillary Rodham Clinton to the enthusiasm of Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp and the discipline of Geena Davis, each woman in this book shares the exciting story of her rise to the top and the unique qualities it took to get there.

McKinsey & Company consultants Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston reveal their remarkable discoveries about what drives and sustains successful women leaders.

What enables some talented people to rise to the top and live their full ambitions at work and in life, while others stop short? In 2007, Joanna Barsh led a team at McKinsey & Company to answer that very question. In the process, they uncovered what distinguishes leaders who are successful from those who achieve true greatness, developing an approach called Centered Leadership. They drew on research from across the academic fields of leadership, organization behavior, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology and positive psychology. In addition, Barsh interviewed over 160 leaders from many fields – including business, government and the arts – and from many countries. With quantitative research, the team learned that these leaders have mastered practices to find their balance in the midst of chaos and lead from their most resourceful selves, unleashing the potential of others. In 2009, Johanne Lavoie joined to lead development of programs that help executives build these capabilities. Their research and development work continues as more and more leaders experience Centered Leadership. In the business bestseller, How Remarkable Women Lead, Barsh described Centered Leadership’s five capabilities and the research that underpins it. Here, with colleague Johanne Lavoie, Barsh provides a practical, actionable field guide for implementation. In Centered Leadership, Barsh and Lavoie will guide you through the Centered Leadership program. You’ll find the interactive tools, exercises, and practices that have helped the men and women participants in Centered Leadership programs gain the skills, courage and confidence to lead. And, along the way, you’ll read inspiring stories of remarkable men and women leaders who demonstrate the power of these skills in action. Those early in their careers will learn how to use these skills to explore their passions and accelerate their professional development. Those forming families will be able to use them to reconcile manage work and life to get the most out of both. And those who have already achieved success will be able use these practices to reach their next leadership horizon. No matter what stage you are currently at in your career, or what level of leadership you aspire to, this book will equip you with the tools to unlock your own Centered Leader and achieve more positive impact at work and outside it.