Women Lead the Way

4 Breaking Out of the Box

All too many women see their lack of upward mobility as a strictly personal issue. If you feel this way, think again. Accomplished women fail to throw a hat in the ring because of a hesitant feeling of being “not quite ready” for a step up. Personalization of what is really an important societal problem not only holds you back as an individual but contributes to an even bigger problem by reinforcing the old stereotype that women don’t want to lead. The confidence factor is not an issue for everyone, so there is a fine line here. If you have an abundance of self-assurance as a leader—congratulations! Skip this chapter and go on to the next. If not, read on.

When I began this book, my focus was helping women move up by ...