I Wish I'd Known This: 6 Career-Accelerating Secrets for Women Leaders

by Brenda Wensil, Kathryn Heath

Overview

Uncover the six blind spots that derail women’s career paths and learn strategies to effectively overcome them for an impactful, sustainable career.

Professional women are subject to blind spots—obstacles that can minimize career potential, impact, or advancement. Some women end up drifting instead of driving through their careers, going it alone instead of building a posse, and leaving their “reputationality” (that special something we are known for) to chance.

Authors and executive coaches Brenda Wensil and Kathryn Heath have spent decades coaching more than 800 women and working with women executives, middle managers, and professionals across industries and age groups. In this book, they outline six challenges women commonly face on their professional journeys and map a way to accelerate through them for higher-impact careers. Readers will learn how to

· Set a vision, strategy, and plan for their careers
· Learn who they are, what they offer, and how to tell their stories
· Seek and act on feedback to guide their paths
· Prepare and practice for the best outcomes
· Enlist help and support from others

Effective women leaders inspire innovation, sustain profitability, manage risk, and create environments for inclusion and diversity to increase. Chock full of strategies, stories, and practical skills, this book will hasten a woman’s progress and impact as a professional woman and liberate her to excel in her career on her own terms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523000975
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	08/16/2022
Pages:	216
Sales rank:	159,108
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Brenda F. Wensil is managing director at Bravanti. She was previously an executive leader for First Union (now Wells Fargo), and she established the first customer-focused strategy for the federal government as chief customer experience officer at the US Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid.

Kathryn Heath, PhD, is a founding partner at Bravanti, where she has served as a coach, trainer, and developer of leadership programs for twenty years. Heath was senior vice president and director at the nation’s fourth largest bank, First Union (now Wells Fargo).

Table of Contents

Introduction; Broom on Fire 1

Chapter 1 Career Drift

You Need a Vision, Strategies, and a Plan 17

Chapter 2 Lack of Self-Awareness

Know Who You Are and How You Land with Others 37

Chapter 3 Vague Reputationality

Get Known for Something and Tell Your Story 59

Chapter 4 Operating on Autopilot Install a Career GPS 85

Chapter 5 Missing the Point of Preparation

Be Strategic about the Outcome You Want 105

Chapter 6 Trying to Go it Alone

Assemble a Posse 127

Chapter 7 Before We Go

The Deliberate Career 147

Conclusion: Light Your Own Broom 155

Discussion Guide 159

Notes 163

Acknowledgments 171

Index 173

About the Authors 179

About Bravanti 183

Editorial Reviews

This book provides a blueprint for women, regardless of where they are in their leadership journey. It highlights career-advancing skills that keep us moving forward with impact and intention. It grants license to women to show up more boldly, bravely, and authentically in their careers.”
—Tamika Tremaglio, Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association
 
“The authors offer practical, actionable strategies with real examples and research-based approaches. A refreshing reminder that when women achieve, everyone is better for it."
—Karen Case, President of Commercial Real Estate, CIBC US

“In this timely guide, using real workplace stories and research-based approaches, the authors help us better understand potential career derailers for women. It’s a necessary reminder that the how of leadership matters as much as, if not more than, the what.”
—Wendy Davidson, President of Americas, Glanbia Performance Nutrition

“This is the book you need to read now to shortcut career delays and derailers! Brenda and Kathryn’s expert knowledge offers a timeless perspective on challenges women face and how illuminating the blind spots can accelerate the path forward. They encourage us all to think bigger and aim higher!”
—Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author of Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
 
“A wise perspective on the universal blind spots for women leaders and a fantastic guide for those who want greater impact, insightful leadership and practical ways of seeing what's ahead. Reading this book feels like having an executive coach on your shoulder, sharing great stories, asking key questions, and pushing for positive change.”
—Bev Kaye, EdD, bestselling coauthor of Love ’Em or Lose ’Em and Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go

From the Publisher