HBR Women at Work Boxed Set (6 Books)

INTRODUCTION

Becoming a Leader

by Amy Bernstein, cohost of Women at Work

Maybe some people are born leaders. I certainly wasn’t one of them—a lesson I learned painfully a few years back when a work pal took me to task.

We’d just had a meeting, and I, as usual, had said absolutely nothing. The reason for my reticence was fear of ridicule. Meetings at my (mostly male) organization were like blood sport: Editors would shoot down each other’s ideas mercilessly (this was long before I came to HBR). I certainly wasn’t going to lay myself open to their barbs. And yet I knew I needed to raise my profile if I wanted to get ahead. I felt thwarted and miserable.

My friend knew all that when she marched into my office, shut the door, and let me have it: ...