A Good Time to be a Girl: Don’t Lean In, Change the System: Don’t Lean In, Change the System

by Helena Morrissey

From the founder of the worldwide 30% Club campaign comes a career book for women in a transforming world who don't just want to lean in, but instead, shatter the paradigm as we know it.

‘I absolutely love her, I think she’s such a force for good’ Pandora Sykes, The High Low In A Good Time to be a Girl, Helena Morrissey sets out how we might achieve the next big breakthrough towards a truly inclusive modern society.

Drawing on her experience as a City CEO, mother of nine, and founder of the influential 30% Club which campaigns for gender-balanced UK company boards, her manifesto for new ways of working, living, loving and raising families is for everyone, not just women. Making a powerful case for diversity and difference in any workplace, she shows how, together, we can develop smarter thinking and broader definitions of success. Gender balance, in her view, is an essential driver of economic prosperity and part of the solution to the many problems we face today.

Her approach is not aimed merely at training a few more women in working practices that have outlived their usefulness. Instead, this book sets out a way to reinvent the game – not at the expense of men but in ways that are right and relevant for a digital age. It is a powerful guide to success for us all.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Leadership, Self Help, Womens, Business, Book Club

Audible Audio

Published February 8, 2018

Reviews

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably one of the most important non-fiction reads I can recommend to any people, particularly women, in any kind of business environment. In this book, Helena Morrissey talks about how this is the time for diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

I really loved the points Helena made in this book about a woman not having to give up her femininity to be a leader in business, and how she doesn’t have to adopt male traits if they aren’t natural to her to succeed in business. How the typical man’s world of business and success is something that needs to be eradicated and we need to create a new model of being on top that includes both male, and female characteristics.

I also thought Helena made a wonderful point when she wrote about talking to everyone about diversity and an inclusive workspace, not just people already interested in it. She’s right in saying that the group of ‘white, straight males’ should have seats in the diversity seminar because they’re the ones that most need to learn and have their eyes open, and pass it on.

I will definitely be buying myself a physical copy of this book because it’s one I will want to reread, and probably highlight, dog-ear, the lot. It’s also one I’ll definitely be buying my friends so they can read, as I think they will love it.

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

man, this was not a book for me. i was loaned a galley by an educator friend who thought i'd be interested. the back cover blurb made me really excited for some helpful, actionable advice, new ideas on combating stereotypes, or new ways to encourage and create diversity around you when you see it's lacking from someone who took part in a large initiative to promote gender equality in the workplace. what i got instead was written more like a diary entry that took a few too many unsupported digs at another woman's model, was part ode to supportive husband and family (which, sure, that's great, but that is not helpful on the larger scale for the reader), and a lot of very general discussion that i doubt will be helpful to anyone already motivated enough to create change or facilitate dialogue of any kind. there were also a few super cringe worthy moments for me (like referring to a conference attendee as "profoundly deaf" and using the example of her younger children choosing gender stereotypical things from the toy box "without encouragement" from her or her spouse to choose them that way, as though media/advertising/peer exposure and her other 8 children did not have an impact on the choice, or repeating the message not that buy-in from white men is important to promote diversity and equity, but that women will not make -any- impact without it). i think this would've been a lot more interesting for me had it been framed as a memoir instead of an actionable text, when nothing groundbreaking or actionable is really presented.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating ~ 4.5*

'Five years have passed since women were told to ‘Lean In’. Over that time, the world has transformed beyond all expectations.

But why should anyone ‘lean in’ to a patriarchal system that is out of date?

Why not change it entirely for the good of us all?’

Such is the premise of this new book, ‘A Good Time to be a Girl’, written by founder of the very successful 30% Club campaign and mother of nine, Helena Morrissey.

Just published by William Collins Books (Harper Collins imprint), Helena Morrissey has written quite an inspiring piece of work, that encourages a new way of thinking, for both women and men, in achieving balance and success in both the office and at home.

This got me thinking folks!! Read on to see why…

I am a mother of two young ladies, both currently in education. I was, once upon a time, a woman in a suit, working in Account Management in, what was at the time, a very male dominated workplace, telecoms. I never aspired to senior management, as quite frankly the thought of it frightened me. I would be considered quite outspoken and at times, it has been mentioned, that I can be quite aggressive in an argument, not traits I am particularly proud of. I worked with women who wanted more, who could be quite domineering and at times quite formidable. Did these women NEED to be quite so tough? Unfortunately, at the time, I think they did.

In A Good Time To Be A Girl, Helena Morrissey challenges the whole concept of women in the workplace in a manner I have not seen before. Women have been reaching for the glass ceiling for many years now, but it has always been with a ‘lean in’ to the existing work ethics and practices. Women in many senior positions are described as tough, quite masculine in demeanor and attitude and in many cases, as hard as nails. Emotion is kept under lock and key, as it would just not be acceptable at the boardroom table. Helena Morrissey asks the question why? Why do women have to be comparable to men? Why do women have to change? Why do women have to lean in?

Diversity is a word that appears on many pages throughout this book. Diversity in the workplace. Diversity in the boardroom. Women CAN be women, according to Morrissey. With very strong feelings on her theory, Morrissey did what many never do, she put her beliefs into practice and she established The 30% Club.

It’s vision is very clear ~ ‘The 30% Club believes that gender balance on boards not only encourages better leadership and governance, but diversity further contributes to better all-round board performance, and ultimately increased corporate performance for both companies and their shareholders.’

We all regularly hear about gender quotas, which, in my humble opinion, does not always necessarily get the right people for the role. The 30% Club challenges this also, with one of it’s defined values stating ‘The 30% Club does not believe mandatory quotas are the right approach. Instead, we support a voluntary approach in order to realise meaningful, sustainable change.’ I love this statement. Helena Morrissey believes that women should be hired on merit, yes, but also for the diversity in opinion that a woman can bring to a table. Imagine the shift this would bring to a boardroom that has only ever known a male presence?

Helena Morrissey asks that we all share a role in this new way of thinking. Morrissey introduces us to the most frequently asked questions by girls during her visits to schools, universities and talks where she meets regularly with ‘early-career’ women. In summary the results are very discouraging. ‘The skew is “Please tell me how not to fail” rather than “Please tell me how to succeed”', basically reflecting the fear young girls have today about entering the workplace. Can you imagine if this could be reversed? Can you imagine if all young girls were enthusiastic about challenging the current system, but doing it as girls/young women and not trying to ‘lean in’? With a fresh approach that is welcomed into the boardroom rather than permitted because of quotas, how fabulous would that be?

As I was reading this book, I found myself chatting to my own 14 year old about many of the ideas mentioned and I was so excited that she got it…..immediately! It made perfect sense to her that diversity was key. She is very creative, as is her younger sister, so I have no idea which direction they will take, but I hope that whatever they decide on, they will see that they really can remain as themselves, as women, and work alongside men as equals. I do not carry very strong beliefs on gender equality and I am not an active advocate for any specific concern. I am, however, a great believer in allowing people to be true to themselves and being allowed to explore and challenge the system as they see fit. As Morrissey states ‘We each have a part to play…..This is not ‘either/or’ – either women leaning in or businesses fixing the system, but about working together in a joined-up way. It’s about creating an ecosystem, an interactive, thriving community.’

Helena Morrissey, now Dame Helena Morrissey, is a mother of nine, a very successful woman in business and the woman behind the, now international, 30% Club and she is only approaching 52 years of age!! Has she achieved The Holy Grail of the work/life balance? I’m sure she will probably say not, but what she has achieved is a life that works for her. Her attitude, her sheer determination and belief in all she does is quite frankly astonishing.

‘We cannot instruct people to alter their thought processes and attitudes. Each of us needs to do that for ourselves. The role business leaders should play is to encourage managers and employees to reach their own conclusion that diversity is good news, both personally and for the company. To create a shared goal’

I came away from this book with a real sense of belief that the future for my girls will be a good one. If the business world listens and learns, if society is more accepting and willing to even consider change, if people like Helena Morrissey continue to encourage diversity in the boardroom and beyond, why can’t we have a system that ‘thinks broader in it’s definition of success’?

Compelling, very insightful and full of positivity and hope, A Good Time To Be A Girl is a very optimistic and inspirational read. This is not a memoir about Helena Morrissey, neither is it a definitive guide to success. What it is, is a fresh approach to how women can aspire to being perceived in the workplace, how diversity is key and how NOW is the time to ‘change the system’

[Hildur · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book has some interesting and potentially useful ideas for how we can promote gender equality. And I'm sure the 30% Club was a success, and the author clearly had a great impact and probably helped many women achieve their goals. However, I don't like many things about this book. The chapter about how men and women are inherently different, or born different, is unscientific and based on speculations. Observing your children is not proof that men and women are born different. Socialisation plays a large role in how men and women are commonly interested in different things. Just look at other cultures. Even if you think you treated your children the same, you, your other children and the society all around you, and the media are filled with bias that teaches children their gender roles from an early age.

The final chapters where Helena's husband and then her children get to contribute to the book with their takes on gender equality is cringe-worthy. I have no interest in their uninformed, extremely mainstream and frankly, un-feminist opinions, in what I assumed before I read it was a feminist book. The author (and her family) are wrong in shaming women who are actively fighting for gender equality, who make their voices heard and who take a radical approach. Shaming other women for their way of fighting the injustice that affects them in every day life will not get us anywhere and is very patriarchal in itself. Her husband talking about how women need to unite and blabla is very unnecessary and very typical patriarchal narrative, it seems he is somehow trying to shame people for focusing on intersectional feminism, as if it is not necessary. As if women who are out there, doing activism, don't know what they are doing. As Helena later remarks herself, we can't all fight for everything at the same time, and we are different. She did something good with the 30% Club because that is what she knew how to do.

Finally, the book does not really offer many clear practical advice for women in the workplace and is too much like a memoir, or just about the author's life. The critique on Lean In is not clear nor useful. I actually got much more out of reading Lean In, and a more cringe-free experience, although Lean In is not perfect either.

[McKinsey Crozier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited for this book, because a valid critique of Sandberg's Lean In is both apt and necessary. However, while I appreciated the bulk of the advice in this book, I was still left unsettled. You see, I have always seen Lean In as a temporary measure -- of course I want to change the sexist system, but that system will persevere long after my career is over, thus I "lean in" to cope. I appreciated the author's opinion on the trends (whether conditioned or biological) that distinguish men, women, and nonbinary folks however generally because it is an honest take on why the traditionally "feminine" is so shamed (though I disagree that much of it is biological). However, the portrayal of many "loud" feminists "complaining" that was detailed at the end of the book felt disparaging, not least because the feminist discussion is necessary and long overdue. I find it hypocritical that a woman who herself comes from privilege as a wealthy, white former CEO that professes herself as a feminist can critique the methods that other women use to fight oppression and empower themselves. While I found the book's advice for expanding female access to high-level corporate opportunities useful, I thought this was a display of a flawed feminism. Does this invalidate the author's take? Not entirely, because that would ignore the feminist history of racism/classism/transphobia/etc. that plagues the movement to this day. However, I was still expecting a more inclusive take from a book on diversity.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had trouble getting through this book. Although I agree with the overall intention of diversity in the workplace, there are a number of things that really bothered me about it.

The author seems to have a lot of negativity about the book and concepts of Lean In, making negative comments and quick digs about it throughout the book, but then suggests the except same behaviour in different words. One of the arguments for having more women in the workplace is that we collaborate better and encourage each other more - so why is she trying to tear down someone who has the same end goal of increasing diversity in the workplace.

The title, A Good Time to be a Girl, is very disconnected from the content of the book and actually counters most of her content. We haven't reached a point where diversity exists in the workplace, so "it MIGHT be a good time to be a girl SOON" would be much more appropriate. Much of her content is directed towards current high level executives and board members, but this title only encourages young females to read this book. She blatantly criticized a diversity discussion that she attended because the attendance was primarily minorities, but then titles her book in such a way to exclude anyone in that decision making position.

Then there's the actual content. This book was mostly just explaining her initiatives and actions and the results, most of which cannot be replicated by the majority of readers. I was expecting a lot more supporting research, and less of a personal journal.

Overall, if you're only going to read one "pro women in the workplace" book, stick to Lean In.

[Briony]

DNF because shes a raging Tory with kids called Tuppy and Cecily so actually I don’t fancy her career advice thanks

[Nat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I take from these type of books the part that resonate for me , the rest is normally anecdotal of how powerful person got to powerful position which isn’t of huge interest to me

[J.smyth.pdx · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I’m not a fan of Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, and wanted a champion against that mentality. Instead, this was more of the same: uncommon circumstances, “lucky” promotions, and anecdotal evidence. I didn’t need to know what the author’s children thought about having a stay-at-home dad, though I did find his perspective interesting. There was also very little that was “groundbreaking” to this. I did, however, like the attempt to reframe what female leadership should look like. The author shied away from describing female leadership in any depth, but did encourage women to challenge the status-quo (easier said than done). The afterword about sums up the book for me: she bullets a dozen or so pieces of advice (many of which could be summarized as “be best”), without any roadmap to get there. Not practical or useful.

[Ailis Macfarlane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book. Although there are some good insights around embracing the differing strengths that women can offer in the business world I was irritated by the overall theme that seemed to suggest if women want improvements towards true equality they should make the argument more appealing to men. Be more polite, don’t protest and go through the “proper channels” were some of the suggestions that infuriated me the most. Criticism of the #metoo movement coupled with a suggestion that if you report inappropriate behaviour through an official process then any credible business would take you seriously baffled me as history has proven this is not the case. The author of this book may have had an experience which has shaped these views but I am disappointed at the level of naivety and the tone deaf comments given the plethora of issues that women face in the business world and beyond, both historic, in present day and in the future.

[Meliha Avdic · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I really want to apologise for not posting more reviews. I read a lot, but I just don’t have the time to write reviews. I will work on changing that, starting now!


A Good Time To Be A Girl is another of those books written by a very successful person. I’ll be honest, I am so tired of these books. It’s almost like: If you’re not successful, well we don’t want to hear from you. Which doesn’t really make any sense. If we learn from hardships and failures, people facing hardships and failures must have much more to say, yet how many stories can you find that are written by someone currently going through one failure after another? Why are successful people so attractive to publishers? Easier to sell the book – after all, their friends already have the money to buy the book? Or the success stories are supposed to inspire us, teach us? Teach us what? After reading God-only-knows how many ‘success stories’ I have come to the conclusion that the only thing unique to successful people is luck. They are LUCKY! That’s it. Hardworking, smart, talented, persistent, fearless individuals are all around us. The only thing they do not all have is luck! They’re not all lucky enough to meet the right person in professional or in personal life. Luck is not something you can learn. Therefore it is not something anyone can teach. Therefore, why bother with oh so many of these stories? The market is just flooded with them. Stop, for the love of God, stop. What we really need are books on handling failure. Books which will show that sometimes we should just do it for ourselves. Books that understand really a lot more, a reality in which: ‘No! We do NOT make our own luck!’.

One of the biggest problems with unemployment is depression. This is something we need to address. In my experience, it comes down to two things: 1. Realising you must do it for yourself – if you allow yourself to sit at home, doing nothing at all, you are wasting yourself away, you are your own biggest enemy. Do NOT be your own worst enemy. Get a hobby, find something to do so that you do NOT fall into the trap of acting against yourself. Trust me, you will always be grateful to you. Sure, you will not get paid, after all, you do not poo money, so you do not produce money, so you can’t pay yourself in money – have I said ‘money’ too many times? Is there such thing as saying ‘money’ too many times? 2. MONEY! You cannot buy happiness, that is for sure. But money sure does help prevent all kinds of worries, anxieties, and it helps to open all kinds of doors, creates opportunities, gives you a lot more freedom. And who doesn’t like freedom? However, in life, when it comes to money, you can either worry until you drive yourself crazy, or you work on not worrying and working on yourself, finding help wherever you can. The insane fact is, we need little to survive. I.e. we need a small amount for food and basic bills. All other things can be sorted out with the right kind of help. So while everyone is ‘advising’ risks, I find that caution is better. Make sure you can have enough for the bills, and then it’ll be easier to talk yourself into NOT wasting your health on money worries. In short, many people live a life in which they can choose a little happiness or none at all. I suggest choosing a little happiness because any happiness is better than no happiness.

Anyway, this is a topic I could write about for a very long time. But I will stop here. I think I got the worst of it off my chest. Except, one more thing: ‘keep knocking’. Please do not ever say that. Some people have been knocking for so long, on so many doors, their knuckles are swollen. It is not that they are too afraid to keep knocking, or that they have stopped knocking. Their knuckles hurt, but they fight through the pain and they do keep knocking, however, the swelling has made their knuckles soft, so no matter how hard they knock it isn’t as loud as it used to be. Some are even busy looking for something else hard that they can knock with, but if you don’t have anything, you don’t have anything.

One of the reasons I picked up the book, apart from my research into feminism, is the ‘women in financial markets’. When I was studying Economics, it turned out that I have a great gift for Financial markets. I will not go into this now I’ll just say that although I didn’t attend any lectures I got a First in the subject. After the initial shock, I started getting offers to go and work in the ‘financial market’. I found that laughable at the time. My field is Civil Society. I already had ideas on how to improve the macro system for these ‘complicated’ organisations. I wanted my work to have ‘real’ effect on our society. I wanted to help people, not markets. There have been moments when I regretted this. I should have known more about opportunities I am likely to have or not have… Anyway, too late to dwell on that. This book clearly shows that people in that sector still do not have the right attitude about women to be attractive to women. Overall, I do not regret not going into that field.

What I do love about this book is the idea that women need to be women. I have mentioned this in my first book, Just Another Life, where May clearly complains about being pressured to be a man, so she chooses a job teaching. I would go as far as to say that the lack of ‘women’ in our society has led to a downfall of our society. I think it started by demonising everything that is feminine or ‘women’s’. I usually use ‘cooking’ as an example. When cooking is a ‘women’s job’ it is a pathetic little chore. But when a man cooks, cooking magically becomes an art. Which leads me to the second step: Double standards, especially in ‘moral issues’. We all know about women who sleep around vs men who sleep around. We need to make a decision. Sleeping around is either a good thing or a bad thing. It cannot be both depending on your gender. A liar is a liar, wither male or female. It is a person who does not tell the truth. This needs to follow all the way around. Maybe, just maybe, women will then get back to what they are born to be. Because, believe it or not, women are human beings. They want to be valued and they will strive to be the way that will earn them respect in their society. Only then will we be able to seriously have honest and true diversity with equal opportunities and values. However, this will not change the role that ‘luck’ plays in our lives. I have no idea how to fix that, I only have ideas on how to achieve happiness even if you have bad luck.

One of the surprising statements is that even these smart and successful people expected results right away. They made a plan and it did not work out. You don’t say – hahahaha! Oh dear! A problem that has been developing over centuries they wanted to solve in a couple of decades? Wow! Let’s just say that a solution will take at least as long as it took to create the problem. After all, it is much easier to create a problem than to solve it. Especially when a problem has had a ‘domino’ effect. But, the good thing is, the solution should also have a ‘domino effect’, so well worth applying our efforts.

[Zandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book interesting, but mainly on the level of feeling curious about how a mother of nine manages to achieve so much in her professional life: does she ever sleep? I think Helena Morrissey was very lucky to marry a man willing to let her career come before his own, and indeed, a man willing to become a stay-at-home dad for all their children. I also think she was fortunate to do work that earned her vast amounts of money while also allowing her to leave the office in time to get home to the family meal. Given these two highly fortunate, atypical premises, I don't think HM is in a position to generalise, on behalf of other women, that it is a 'good time to be a girl'. HM wants more women on company boards. But does this mean HM also wants more men to allow their wives to be the main breadwinner while they bring up the children? HM does not really address the problem of who will bring up children, if mothers seek to fulfil their own career ambitions. Does HM think that a paid nanny is as good as the love of either a father or mother? Or (as many couples cant afford a nanny, despite them both working) does HM think a nursery is just fine? HM's feminism did not really work for me. However, I did really enjoy the optimism, shrewdness, determination and cleverness of HM. She is awe-inspiring.

[Renee Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

GIRLS, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO LEAD LIKE A GIRL.

THE WORLD NEEDS WHAT GIRLS BRING TO LEADERSHIP!

This is THE BOOK for those who don’t want to lean into antiquated, patriarchal systems that govern how and when we work. This is THE BOOK for everyone looking for ways men and women can work smarter, together to create workplaces where everyone has a voice and a choice.
I chose to read this book, and Jennifer Palmieri’s Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World for a leadership class. And I have to tell you; it is a great time to be a girl! Both of these books gave me so much HOPE for a future that welcomes women behaving as women when they lead organizations, schools, and countries. I have spent most of my professional life (20 years) honing my ability to imitate male leaders, quashing feminine behaviors every time they dared to rise to the surface. I bought into what Crystal Hoyt calls the “think-leader-think-male” mindset, believing that “acting like a man” is just what women had to do to be taken seriously in the workplace. Women no longer have to behave like men to be taken seriously in the workplace, Helena Morrissey’s provides the world with a new mindset for our future, a “think-leader-think-female” mindset.

[nana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the title of the book is disconnected from what you will get once you start reading this. At first I thought this was going to be full of useful advise since I just got a job and finally started thinking about career advancement now that I'm done testing the waters, but this book was full of the authors' story of her family, career, initiatives and achievements in which I'm sure most of us readers will find it hard to relate to. Definitely not the best book if you look for an advice but if you are interested on some insight on diversity and gender equality in workplace, this book has something to offer you.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting ideas but not v practical if you’re not senior and a little too memoiry

[Kunbi Olubiyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really thought provoking read, however, would have been better aptly titled "A Good Time to be a White Girl"

[StationWagon Stripes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's quite short, but I think it was the perfect length for non-fiction.

I'm probably not the intended audience, as I'm a housewife with few career aspirations thus far and considering very few women have either 9 children or a high flying job in investment banking, it's not likely that many people could directly relate. However, I find it inspiring that such a scenario is possible.

I agreed with the author when she said it shouldn't matter too much for a parent (male or female) to take time out to focus on their children. In my case my husband would detest staying at home and that was never a consideration for us, but I absolutely wanted to raise my own children and I don't think it will necessarily prevent me from having a career in the future. We are living longer and having to work longer so there is no reason why people shouldn't have 2 or even 3 different stages or paths in their careers.

Helena writes with common sense and confidence. I admire her greatly and her home life sounds happy and fun. It's a great tale of having it all.

I'm all for sharing responsibilities and compromising but from my experience I've met very few men that could wholeheartedly and unselfishly raise their children, I think it's very much a one-end of the spectrum situation.

I agree that this is 'a good time to be a girl' but this is more of a personal account of Helena's journey, than a guidebook for women.

It's brilliant to read that the younger generations are more equal minded when it comes to the roles of gender. If this is encouraging them to have discussions early on in their relationships about shared responsibilities and how they envisage raising children, then that can only be a good thing. I don't personally know anyone that did that in real life, but change is a gradual process and I think this book is offering positive thoughts, suggestions and examples all round.

[Isha · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a frequent non-fiction 'self help' reader, I feel a bit more comfortable writing proper reviews.

Point of critique: the title.
'A Good Time to be a Girl' is a catchy title and definitely makes the cover 'instagram worthy'. Nevertheless the book's main message is that the world is now in a place where we can look broader to inclusion and diversity than mere quota. We don't need to lean into the existing system, we need to change the system in a way so that people can be people no matter gender, sexual orientation, descent etc. The comparison with the Pyramid of Maslow was highly insightful especially the explanation we (not distinguishing on gender) should always make sure the people around us are at the same level as us. If not improve the environment so that they can focus on their next level 'needs of inclusion'.

Great parts:
P145-147: the impact on the power pose. This part didn't come across like 'fake it till you make it' rather it said: pick yourself up, do it and let it feel like an outer body experience. Do not not do something due to it not being you. At least try and who knows, maybe you find it to be part of you.

p.153: Life is a labyrinth, not one career is a ladder.

General review: I didn't have a 'wow what great insights'-feeling. The title throws me off a bit. Eventhough I'm highly in favour of inclusion & diversity focused on people being their true selves no matter their gender, ethnicity, descent... The title gave me different expectations. :)

[Samv · Rating 1 out of 5]

My 1 star rating is not based on the merit of this book, but my own personal taste alone. The story itself is simplistically written and reads more like a humble memoir than a guidebook, and so I agree with many of the reviews here that her book doesn't exactly meet expectations. But I argue that it is priceless advice from a highly experienced and educated senoir business woman. She is not some young overachiever trying to teach the masses how to follow her perfect (nonexistant) "solution" to equality, and that is why Morrissey's story is so valuable.

Her tone is often bitter, but it's based on facts. So when she says "studying a picture of the 17 male directors at the time is like playing a game of spot the difference", she is sharing the experience of a woman who, when faced with an arguably hostile work environment, managed to overcome the obvious obstacles of a Male dominated business world which clearly preferred comfort over change.

If you decide to take the time to read between the lines, you can see that this is a book which advocates action, while explaining first hand experiences of the fundamental differences between feeling included and feeling discriminated against. I think that if you are feeling alone or uncomfortable where you are due to gender discrimination, Morrissey's novel is your companion and reminder that we have come a long way and we are doing better, so don't worry, just keep pushing on.

[sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is probably a bit of a bold move for me to add this to my reading challenge seeing as I got approximately 100 pages into this book before giving up on it. But I gave it a go and that's what counts right?

Let me preface this by saying that by no means is this a bad book, it just was not dealing with subject matter that I found really compelling. Now, I'm not saying that the push to increase diversity in corporate companies isn't a pressing issue - I am deeply interested in diversity and how it can be increased - it was all the corporate business jargon that was constantly thrown around in this book that made it a tough read for me. However, if you are in the field of business then you may likely enjoy this book and find it an interesting read as you would be the target audience for this book.

I have got to say that I really did like Helena Morrissey's tone of writing in this book and her personal anecdotes did definitely add to the message she was trying to convey.
A Good Time to be a Girl just wasn't my cup of tea as it was very business focused and dealt with lots of corporate language that I didn't really understand.

[wwww79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a young girl who is still looking for her own odyssey, this book is certainly helpful. Although there are some parts which I disagree or couldn’t understand why the author has to put it that way.

My thought about gender equality is first and foremost, everyone has to accept and respect the differences between us, either a man or a woman. The differences what make men and women have different approaches in their behaviour but it doesn’t make anyone less competent. Men have their own competency and ability and same goes to women. How to embark on gender equality is more on how to respect each other’s competency and ability and not by trying to pull anyone down.

Hence, if women wanted to be respected and accepted by the society of their competency in working or anything. It must be done through an action which certainly proves the ability to work. Not just by making this type of work is only available for female because we support diversity and we want gender equality. No, that’s not how thing works. Try to earn that respect and acceptance by showing our competency to be successful regardless of any situation.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer for a modern-day discussion of gender equality. Although a short read the book scales gender equality in hiring processes, the workplace, education and discusses whether the systems that we currently want to gain gender equality in are outdated and in need of an update to foster gender parity. Rather than pessimism, the author sees great positivity in gender equality and discusses steps that women and men should take in order to further advance this topic.
Being a mother of 9 children, a financial CEO and wife to a stay-at-home husband, the author has plenty to talk about, and has lengthy interviews with her husband and children on their opinions of gender stereotypes and gender reversals. Being in the financial sector, the author spends significant time discussing her 30% Club (30% female representation on boards), and the changing opinion that men have on gender equality in this job sector.
The book has plenty of reference material and is current as of 2018. Well worth a read.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by the founder of the 30% club advocating for 30% women to reach board level by 2020, it couldn’t go wrong!

This is an amazing book which addresses the issues of women’s careers whilst incorporating family, friends, children and more. By explaining how she overcame these challenges both at home and work, it creates a really personal touch and you can understand just how she had the motivation to become a CEO.

I believe that this book is reflective of how some of her key thoughts have been effective in raising awareness of the gender inequality and diversity, as well as becoming a basis for change in the future.

I would recommend this to women who need some inspiration or guidance into the world of work whilst raising a family.

Lucy

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know that I got any advice from this book beyond attacking men isn't feminism and men are necessary to changing gender balance in work.

I think the author totally skipped over, in her quest to defend determined gender based strengths, that if we play by the "most girls like x and most boys like y so we should be okay with that gender split but still allow the outliers [such as the author herself who liked math] to pursue what they like" we'll inevitably exclude the girls who like y or boys who like x and don't have the social gumption to go against the norm. This further allows anybody (parents, children, whoever) to think boys do one thing and girls do another so they should shove themselves into that box (much the same as guy youth may do when not exposed to acceptable role models. Closeting their true desires).

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting counterpoint to Lean In, but doesn't address the criticisms of that book that I found most intriguing (i.e., that corporate America is based on a system that is racist, sexist, classist, and stacked against many of those that Sandberg was exhorting to lean in). Instead focused on the inherent differences between men and women (lost me with the Damore defense) and wrote that corporations could benefit from more "womanly" attributes (gentleness, consensus-building, diplomacy, etc.). At times, difficult to discern a clear message. I read this in anticipation of a discussion with the women's group at my office. I do appreciate her honesty about "how she does it all" (SAH husband and nanny) with 9 children while holding a CEO position.

[Sula · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I generally agree with the author's aims, I didn't find this a particularly engaging book. It is fairly anecdotal, interspersed with some generic advice like 'play to your strengths' and 'ask for help'. It is unclear if this is a self-help book, a general argument for increasing equality for women or exactly what its aim or audience is.

I did however find 'Andy Haldane's Recruitment Challenge' interesting. If candidate A scores higher than candidate B on a test, you might think A should be hired. But what if answers A and other existing employees get wrong are the ones B gets right? B would actually be a better choice, adding more to the collective ability of the organisation, even if as an individual they are weaker.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

broad strokes wise, lots to admire here - although at times did feel like talking points for a speaking engagements - with copious name dropping of various industry leaders - generally with honours to their names
extraordinary career for Helena Morrissey - not sure the degree to which it would be exemplar for young women - other than to show what is possible with family of nine children- certainly interesting in itself, but does everyone need to aspire to be CEO



the personal accounts of various family members were interesting if sometime formulaic
stay at home dad's account touched briefly on sense of loneliness...

[Elizabeth StClair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book. In some ways, I liked her argument for the support for girls and boys to do what they’re more drawn to. However, I disagreed with the idea that boys could somehow not be as empathetic as girls, if raised with the same expectations. Looking back at my childhood, I don’t think my brothers were somehow incapable of being empathetic, but that they were never asked to. I do think that women should be proud of their strengths, whatever they might be, but I don’t believe that, all things equal, women and men are more likely to hold certain strengths.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the book title is very misleading. This was more memoir than anything else, and it is yet another white woman of privilege who wants to tell women of color they can do it, then give advice that is only practical if you are already in the workplace, in a corporate type setting. Blah! Very little actionable advice and a lot of it mirrors Sandberg's "Lean In," which she criticizes (often cattily) throughout the book. There are a few good things in this book, but it can't redeem the tone deaf "advice" given by the author.

[Kirstie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very inspiring read, I found it a very enjoyable book. However, one downside was that I couldn’t help thinking that after each page I turned there would be some useful advice that I could take as part of my own career path. This lack of guidance was a little disappointing, as the front of the book states ‘a guide to thriving at work’ . That being said, I admire her ambition and for any career minded person, this is worth a read.