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Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women
Increasingly, new employees and junior members of any profession are encouraged-sometimes stridently-to "find a mentor!" Four decades of research reveals that the effects of mentorship can be profound and enduring; strong mentoring relationships have the capacity to transform individuals and entire organizations. Organizations that retain and promote top talent-both female and male-are more likely to thrive. But the mentoring landscape is unequal. Evidence consistently shows that women face more barriers in securing mentorships than men, and when they do find a mentor, they may reap a narrower range of both career and psychological benefits. Athena Rising is a book for men about how to mentor women deliberately and effectively. It is a straightforward, no-nonsense manual for helping men of all institutions, organizations, and businesses to become excellent mentors to women. Co-authors W. Brad Johnson, PhD and David Smith, PhD draw from extensive research and years of experience as experts in mentoring relationships and gender workplace issues. When a man mentors a woman, they explain, the relationship is often complicated by conventional gender roles and at times hostile external perceptions. Traditional notions of mentoring are often modeled on male-to-male relationships-the sort that begin on the golf course, involve a nearly exclusive focus on career achievement, and include more than a few slaps on the back over drinks after work. But women often report a desire for mentoring that integrates career and family aspects of life. Women want a mentor who not only "gets" this, but truly honors it. Men need to fully appreciate just how crucial their support of promising junior women can be in helping them to persist, promote, and thrive in their vocations and organizations. As women succeed, lean in, and assume leading roles in any organization or work context, that culture will become more egalitarian, effective, and prone to retaining top talent.
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2016
78 people are currently reading
1128 people want to read
About the author
W. Brad Johnson
26 books29 followersW. Brad Johnson is Professor of psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy, and a Faculty Associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. A clinical psychologist and former commissioned officer in the Navy’s Medical Service Corps, Dr. Johnson served at Bethesda Naval Hospital and the Medical Clinic at Pearl Harbor where he was the division head for psychology. He is a recipient of the Johns Hopkins University Teaching Excellence Award, and has received distinguished mentor awards from the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association. Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous publications including 14 books, in the areas of gender in the workplace, mentoring, cross-gender allyship, professional ethics, and counseling. His most recent books include: Good Guys: How Men Can Become Better Allies for Women in the Workplace (Harvard Business Review, 2020, with David Smith), Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women (Harvard Business Review, 2016, with David Smith), The Elements of Mentoring (3rd edition, St. Martin;s Press, with Charles Ridley), and On Being a Mentor (2nd edition, Routledge Press).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 4, 2019
I know I'm not the target audience for this book, but I am a potential target mentee so I thought I'd see what the men were learning! Now that I've read it, I don't know who the target audience is--either that or men have not evolved as much as I thought (which very well could be)!
Since so much of this book focused on dealing with women's emotions, let me start by playing into that stereotype and provide range of emotions experience as I read the book (in the order experienced): amusement, confusion, annoyance, incredulity, out-right shock, and finally something resembling loathing. The author's theme was laudable, but its execution leaves me scarred.
Every single chapter had a section that discussed, essentially, why men should suppress their sexual feelings and not sleep with their mentee. I realize this is a topic that should be discussed--once or twice, but it was drilled so much that I was left with this icky sense that I've been unknowingly violated my whole working life and didn't know it!
If this resonates with men, great. For me it just reinforced old stereotypes--of both men and women. Much of the "mentoring" discussed sounded like simply how to talk to and work with a woman, e.g. treat her the same, listen to her speak, encourage her. In my experience there are greater issues of implicit bias hindering women, and this book's emphasis on the obvious issues seen in retro shows like Mad Men is no longer helpful (hopefully) to the vast majority of working women seeking mentorship.
Since so much of this book focused on dealing with women's emotions, let me start by playing into that stereotype and provide range of emotions experience as I read the book (in the order experienced): amusement, confusion, annoyance, incredulity, out-right shock, and finally something resembling loathing. The author's theme was laudable, but its execution leaves me scarred.
Every single chapter had a section that discussed, essentially, why men should suppress their sexual feelings and not sleep with their mentee. I realize this is a topic that should be discussed--once or twice, but it was drilled so much that I was left with this icky sense that I've been unknowingly violated my whole working life and didn't know it!
If this resonates with men, great. For me it just reinforced old stereotypes--of both men and women. Much of the "mentoring" discussed sounded like simply how to talk to and work with a woman, e.g. treat her the same, listen to her speak, encourage her. In my experience there are greater issues of implicit bias hindering women, and this book's emphasis on the obvious issues seen in retro shows like Mad Men is no longer helpful (hopefully) to the vast majority of working women seeking mentorship.
February 29, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the idea... but only ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the book itself. Patronizing, redundant, bereft of almost any stories or vignettes, the content could easily be summed-up in a mid-length article (which would have taken less time). Although some useful nuggets are there, the authors seem to fall (ironically) prey to their stated need for women’s perspectives and leadership in the workplace, as this book offers very few of the stories and personal experiences that I would have hoped to hear in pursuing greater knowledge of effective cross-gender mentoring relationships.
August 25, 2017
If you've picked up this book on your own accord, you'll probably find it a bit too on-the-nose. But, you'll want to skim it anyway for relevant backgrounder as I'm sure you'll know others who might benefit from reading this through and they will need some convincing.
To that end:
If someone has gently encouraged you to read this book and it seems of interest, you probably have a blind spot somewhere and should consider giving this a read so you can more effectively interact with female colleagues.
If someone has mentioned this book to you multiple times and you don't think it's at all relevant to you, you should buy this book, read it, and internalize every word.
Yes, this means you.
(To the authors: well done, guys. Don't mind my 3-star review as it's more for Goodreads to recommend me new titles than an evaluation of your writing.
To the folks who thought it's odd that two men wrote about how to mentor women: consider the intended audience.)
To that end:
If someone has gently encouraged you to read this book and it seems of interest, you probably have a blind spot somewhere and should consider giving this a read so you can more effectively interact with female colleagues.
If someone has mentioned this book to you multiple times and you don't think it's at all relevant to you, you should buy this book, read it, and internalize every word.
Yes, this means you.
(To the authors: well done, guys. Don't mind my 3-star review as it's more for Goodreads to recommend me new titles than an evaluation of your writing.
To the folks who thought it's odd that two men wrote about how to mentor women: consider the intended audience.)
April 2, 2023
Acknowledging I’m not the target audience is the only reason I gave a 2 not a 1. I had several peers and mentors recommend this book at a women’s leadership conference so I was truly excited and hoped to learn techniques to take into my leadership approaches as I progress in my career…unfortunately I DNF this book and I will not be giving it another whirl or recommending it to friends.
VERY redundant and while some of the information was helpful, those tidbits felt few and far between while the main themes seemed to go against what I desire from my male leadership/mentors.
VERY redundant and while some of the information was helpful, those tidbits felt few and far between while the main themes seemed to go against what I desire from my male leadership/mentors.
April 25, 2021
Maybe there are men who have never interacted with real-life women before reading this book. This book is for them.
I am so thankful that the great mentors in my life treated me like a person and not like a delicate, sensitive time bomb.
I can’t wait to see if my male colleagues were as appalled by this book as I was reading these pages.
I am so thankful that the great mentors in my life treated me like a person and not like a delicate, sensitive time bomb.
I can’t wait to see if my male colleagues were as appalled by this book as I was reading these pages.
March 17, 2022
The topic is so very important, but the execution was deeply disappointing and cringey throughout. I agree with the summary in “Medium”: “If Mansplaining Women’s Issues in the Workplace Was a Book.” I’m also not sure why the authors felt the need to (essentially) say, “don’t have sex with your mentee” more than once? I learned a few useful things, but was so bummed by the presentation that they were largely buried.
It was also incredibly patronizing. For example, these are real quotes from the book. If you’re uncomfortable around crying: “watch Oprah reruns non-stop until the sight of a crying woman no longer phases you.” Or if you can’t avoid sexualizing your mentee: “ask a really big guy to kick you hard in the nuts.” Come on?! This book is meant for evolved professionals?!
This book needs to be rewritten. By women (duh). And successful male mentors can have the short snippet vignettes. Not the other way around (as in this book). What a shame.
It was also incredibly patronizing. For example, these are real quotes from the book. If you’re uncomfortable around crying: “watch Oprah reruns non-stop until the sight of a crying woman no longer phases you.” Or if you can’t avoid sexualizing your mentee: “ask a really big guy to kick you hard in the nuts.” Come on?! This book is meant for evolved professionals?!
This book needs to be rewritten. By women (duh). And successful male mentors can have the short snippet vignettes. Not the other way around (as in this book). What a shame.
February 17, 2025
This is a book for men - but I was interested to learn how men are taught to approach mentoring women and as a woman in a male dominated organization, what I could expect from future opportunities.
5 stars for intention - 2.5 for execution.
As a woman, this book left me with a lot of mixed feelings. On one hand, I recognize that the men reading it and seeking to learn are likely not the problem. On the other, the sheer lack of baseline understanding when it comes to working with and around women is alarming. I was especially unsettled by how often the book felt the need to reiterate that developing sexual feelings for a mentee is natural—but ultimately unacceptable to act on. That said, I did take away valuable insight into what I should expect from a mentor. Whether men of this caliber truly exist is another question entirely, but at least in theory, the standard is clear.
5 stars for intention - 2.5 for execution.
As a woman, this book left me with a lot of mixed feelings. On one hand, I recognize that the men reading it and seeking to learn are likely not the problem. On the other, the sheer lack of baseline understanding when it comes to working with and around women is alarming. I was especially unsettled by how often the book felt the need to reiterate that developing sexual feelings for a mentee is natural—but ultimately unacceptable to act on. That said, I did take away valuable insight into what I should expect from a mentor. Whether men of this caliber truly exist is another question entirely, but at least in theory, the standard is clear.
April 13, 2023
Every male supervisor should read this. Many tips, illustrated by perspectives, for how to be a good mentor. And of course these are not just for mentoring women, but being a good person and helping those around you be successful.
December 16, 2021
Ok, men jeg liker å tro har vi har en del av dette på stell.
Uansett, en del ting er en god påminnelse for ledere på alle nivå
Uansett, en del ting er en god påminnelse for ledere på alle nivå
October 11, 2016
t should be as obvious as the nose on your face. There can be advantages from having a mentor if you change jobs, careers or need more specialised guidance. Yet mentoring still tends to be a male-dominated activity, with females often left inadvertently (one hopes, rather than intentionally) by the wayside.
There are many benefits of mentorship, both to the mentee and mentor, yet why are women either left without or given a restricted form of mentorship on the whole? Exceptions exist, of course, but the authors note that sadly they are exactly that. This book sets out to try and remedy matters, written with men in mind, to try and get them to do more to mentor their female colleagues, backed up by practical advice, research and focussed guidance. That said, a fair bit of the advice given can equally be applied to one’s male mentees too.
The authors have carried out a lot of research into mentoring and believe that often when a man mentors a woman the relationship can be complicated by conventional gender roles and sometimes even external hostile perceptions. Mentoring often gravitates around social settings, such as a bar or golf club, and this can often exclude women who may want a form of mentoring that integrates career and family aspects of life. Even if a woman would meet her male mentor after work, for example, there is the risk that “tongues will wag” or even that the mentor may feel unsure of the situation. Decades of sexual equality and anti-harassment training can be backfiring, with males often feeling uneasy around their female colleagues, especially if alone and in a social setting, just in case the “wrong” word is said or a good-intentioned action is misinterpreted.
Male colleagues with good intentions should not feel this way and maybe they cannot be blamed for wanting to keep things more “in the office”. Yet it takes a bit of a mindshift, possibly some change to the working day and maybe even a bit of a proactive push from the prospective mentee. So this book can really hit the mark and be a catalyst for change. The hardest part might be getting it read. Will the male worker accept there is a problem? Will they know that change may be necessary? Would it be too-forward for a prospective mentee to give a copy to a colleague she wishes to be mentored by? Who knows, but it would not hurt for a company to proactively take the initiative, pass out this book and encourage take-up…
Some elements of this book’s style just grated. A mixed faux conversationalist style, particularly at the start of chapters, seemed to somehow cheapen the book and its important message; it could be a matter of taste and style but nonetheless… It was a bit of a “slow burner” too, as it frequently lost its focus and this is a great shame if people are turned-off as the message being promoted is critically important. The tone felt, as well, to be hectoring or bordering on the patronising at times – undoubtedly unintentionally – and these issues made what otherwise should have been a five-star book into what it is. It can feel as these are petty issues, which maybe they are, but a book of this type, which deals with such an important subject, must be incredibly focussed, accessible and an addictive read so that the message hits home clearly, with the reader being engaged and wanting to learn more.
Make no mistake, this is a good book about a critically important subject. It is just frustratingly let down by a few small issues that may alienate or turn-off some readers and this cannot be allowed to happen. Every mentoring opportunity counts.
Autamme.com
There are many benefits of mentorship, both to the mentee and mentor, yet why are women either left without or given a restricted form of mentorship on the whole? Exceptions exist, of course, but the authors note that sadly they are exactly that. This book sets out to try and remedy matters, written with men in mind, to try and get them to do more to mentor their female colleagues, backed up by practical advice, research and focussed guidance. That said, a fair bit of the advice given can equally be applied to one’s male mentees too.
The authors have carried out a lot of research into mentoring and believe that often when a man mentors a woman the relationship can be complicated by conventional gender roles and sometimes even external hostile perceptions. Mentoring often gravitates around social settings, such as a bar or golf club, and this can often exclude women who may want a form of mentoring that integrates career and family aspects of life. Even if a woman would meet her male mentor after work, for example, there is the risk that “tongues will wag” or even that the mentor may feel unsure of the situation. Decades of sexual equality and anti-harassment training can be backfiring, with males often feeling uneasy around their female colleagues, especially if alone and in a social setting, just in case the “wrong” word is said or a good-intentioned action is misinterpreted.
Male colleagues with good intentions should not feel this way and maybe they cannot be blamed for wanting to keep things more “in the office”. Yet it takes a bit of a mindshift, possibly some change to the working day and maybe even a bit of a proactive push from the prospective mentee. So this book can really hit the mark and be a catalyst for change. The hardest part might be getting it read. Will the male worker accept there is a problem? Will they know that change may be necessary? Would it be too-forward for a prospective mentee to give a copy to a colleague she wishes to be mentored by? Who knows, but it would not hurt for a company to proactively take the initiative, pass out this book and encourage take-up…
Some elements of this book’s style just grated. A mixed faux conversationalist style, particularly at the start of chapters, seemed to somehow cheapen the book and its important message; it could be a matter of taste and style but nonetheless… It was a bit of a “slow burner” too, as it frequently lost its focus and this is a great shame if people are turned-off as the message being promoted is critically important. The tone felt, as well, to be hectoring or bordering on the patronising at times – undoubtedly unintentionally – and these issues made what otherwise should have been a five-star book into what it is. It can feel as these are petty issues, which maybe they are, but a book of this type, which deals with such an important subject, must be incredibly focussed, accessible and an addictive read so that the message hits home clearly, with the reader being engaged and wanting to learn more.
Make no mistake, this is a good book about a critically important subject. It is just frustratingly let down by a few small issues that may alienate or turn-off some readers and this cannot be allowed to happen. Every mentoring opportunity counts.
Autamme.com
March 9, 2024
Good in concept. Clearly geared toward men although the key principles apply to both sexes of both mentors and mentees. This could have been so much more. It also very much reads like bros talking to bros. "man up" was overused (for clarity: any use is overuse of this outdated phrase). Maybe that was by design but it is isolating for the female reader (in this case, me).
March 27, 2022
W. Brad Johnson & David G. Smith’s work “Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women” is an interesting work that is focused on getting men to get over their hang-ups with mentoring women in the work force. The authors are faculty members at the U.S. Naval Academy. There are some issues with this work:
1) The title can appear condescending towards women…even though their focus is on getting men to step up with mentoring. Female colleagues did not have a positive first impression with the book and its title.
2) The authors focus on a few examples of midshipmen who went through the Naval Academy and then into Naval service. This creates a narrow focus on the case-studies and would have been served with more examples or more research.
3) The chapter on what not to do as a mentor needs to be much earlier in the book…saving it for last does a major disservice and undercuts many of the themes in the book.
4) The book over-relies on quotes from Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. There are a host of other works other there and it would be good to get those voices heard as well. Lean In has become a default book that does not reinforce some of the more important points.
It is a good starting point for men interested in ensuring they are getting the most out of their work force and ensuring that female employees are getting opportunities for mentoring.
1) The title can appear condescending towards women…even though their focus is on getting men to step up with mentoring. Female colleagues did not have a positive first impression with the book and its title.
2) The authors focus on a few examples of midshipmen who went through the Naval Academy and then into Naval service. This creates a narrow focus on the case-studies and would have been served with more examples or more research.
3) The chapter on what not to do as a mentor needs to be much earlier in the book…saving it for last does a major disservice and undercuts many of the themes in the book.
4) The book over-relies on quotes from Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. There are a host of other works other there and it would be good to get those voices heard as well. Lean In has become a default book that does not reinforce some of the more important points.
It is a good starting point for men interested in ensuring they are getting the most out of their work force and ensuring that female employees are getting opportunities for mentoring.
May 18, 2020
While this book is aimed at men, it was still useful for me to understand why men may be reluctant to mentor women, and why it's worth fighting for. Also the tips on how to be a good mentor are useful for everyone.
January 16, 2020
This is such a great guide for why men should mentor women and how exactly to approach mentoring in such a context. As a young female scientist who has had two male mentors and a female mentor who was mentored by a great male scientist, this book made me appreciate my unique experience (knowing that there are still several women out there who either don't have mentors or not being mentored well). The authors have done extensive research on the topic and gave great real-life, modern examples from a variety of fields (STEM: Janet Petro and Robert Lightfoot from NASA and other scientists, Social Sciences: Larry Summers and Sheryl Sandberg, Military). The authors covered several very important aspects of mentoring including setting boundaries and managing power-dynamics. They also included important concepts in gender stereotypes such as benevolent sexism, which is very important because a lot of times we fail to recognize and act on subtle sexism compared to hostile sexism. This book really highlights the importance of mentoring in every field. I highly recommend this book to anyone (regardless of gender but most especially to female mentees) starting out in their field as it gives a perspective on what you can expect from mentors (and what you should ask), as well as to those who are already mentors (especially men). It is important for men to mentor and champion women so we can have more female leaders who can serve as examples to young women starting out their careers. Hopefully, in the future, mentoring regardless of gender won't be negatively perceived anymore so we won't have to care about what the gender of our mentor or mentee will be.
March 5, 2025
This book is kind of a rollercoaster and not for obvious reasons. Strong disclaimer: it is written by men FOR men, but I was sure I can glean something from it. It starts off strong and then for about 10% (I listened to the book) the authors delve into telling men that women are not sexual objects who always desire them. It was giving "ick". I was about to put the book down, because it is 2024 and men still really believe that women want them if they seek their guidance OR that men can't control themselves and have to be told to maintain a proper, professional, and respectful relationship?! No way!!! Anyhow, I needed to read reviews to see if it got any better, after all it is on the Chief of Staff of the Air Force reading list (do they actually read the books, I thought). A lot of people (many women) felt the same, and I think they may have stopped where I did. Some people just spoke on how great the book was (to include some women), so I decided to keep on, keepin on. The book WAS great. A lot of fun nuggets backed by research and experiences that many women in high ranking positions spoke on. My biggest complaint about this book (many books like it) is that the experience is heavily skewed towards the white woman. The authors try to throw in some nuggets about how it may be different for women of color, but they are few in between and not flushed out enough to make me believe they even really understand differences. It makes me want to read some books on leadership by some minority females to really round out this reading experience. However, still a great read and many of the "elements" they discuss can be applied to and by anyone.
March 2, 2021
This is a must read for leaders in every area. It is well researched, simple, and backed up with excellent examples from successful women across several disciplines. The principles are sound and apply to anyone, but this book provides the necessary details particular to men mentoring women. The authors do generalize, for quite obvious reasons, but they explain what they’re doing and why and identify the other nuances.
Interesting to me we’re the skills and traits (generally) displayed by women vs men. Empathy, team building, high emotional and social IQ. These qualities are and should be necessary for all great leaders. This is why the book can be applied, in general with most of the principles, by anyone. The nature of the Information Age and primacy of knowledge based industry require more collaborative and connective styles of leadership. In fact, many traits of toxic leaders have always been toxic, they were just tolerated for too long.
But I digress. If you read this book and don’t have a least a couple dozen ideas for your toolkit, in work and in life, you should read it again.
This was a long overdue read for me, albeit a quick one. Definitely need a copy for future reference.
Interesting to me we’re the skills and traits (generally) displayed by women vs men. Empathy, team building, high emotional and social IQ. These qualities are and should be necessary for all great leaders. This is why the book can be applied, in general with most of the principles, by anyone. The nature of the Information Age and primacy of knowledge based industry require more collaborative and connective styles of leadership. In fact, many traits of toxic leaders have always been toxic, they were just tolerated for too long.
But I digress. If you read this book and don’t have a least a couple dozen ideas for your toolkit, in work and in life, you should read it again.
This was a long overdue read for me, albeit a quick one. Definitely need a copy for future reference.
July 2, 2022
On a whole I thought this was a step in the right direction. It came across as patronizing at times, especially when it discussed women’s relationships with past men. I also thought the emphasis on not sleeping with your mentee was slightly alarming, but hey, maybe thats a real issue men have? I bought this to proof read before giving it to my command team as they have some real blindspots that I would like them to correct for the next group of females they lead. I do still intend to do that as the book highlighted the concerns I have personally raised with my command team (and unsurprisingly were discounted). I think it fell short in not focusing on how implicit bias and subtle sexism, racism, and homophobia affect women. These were mentioned, but I think they deserved a larger part of the book with expansive vignettes. I understand that sexism, racism, and homophobia were not the main point, but a point that is nonetheless intrinsic to the female experience in male centric career fields.
April 21, 2021
I’m not the target audience for this book...it’s clearly for men. However, much the advice and suggestions in this book are applicable to both men and women. I gained several insights that I plan to implement to help me be a better leader and mentor in my office. And I found it useful, as a woman, to gain deeper insight into how professional men may perceive professional women.
I would recommend the book to men in my office (and my husband) who are in leadership positions. However, my guess is that the majority of the males in my workplace would not read the book let alone see that they (and the organization) could benefit from learning how to better coach and mentor women. And I don’t think it’s only a gender issue...I also see it as a generational issue. In my experience, most male Baby Boomers have issues with gender bias...both conscious and unconscious...in the workplace. The younger men in my office do a much better job of mentoring and interacting with women in the workplace.
I would recommend the book to men in my office (and my husband) who are in leadership positions. However, my guess is that the majority of the males in my workplace would not read the book let alone see that they (and the organization) could benefit from learning how to better coach and mentor women. And I don’t think it’s only a gender issue...I also see it as a generational issue. In my experience, most male Baby Boomers have issues with gender bias...both conscious and unconscious...in the workplace. The younger men in my office do a much better job of mentoring and interacting with women in the workplace.
December 27, 2020
The author gave a workshop at my company last year. He is in charge of mentoring programs within the US naval Academy. Before his workshop I had participated in a trial mentoring program within the company, in which men mentored men and women mentored women. His message is that today much of the power within an organization is still held by men so when women are not mentored by men their career path is not as robust. He writes about many perceived pitfalls and debunks them one at a time.
I am happy to say that the current mentoring program has both men and women mentoring women, of which I am one of the mentors.
I am happy to say that the current mentoring program has both men and women mentoring women, of which I am one of the mentors.
August 6, 2024
The idea is great and there are some points which I think could be beneficial. That said, this really felt patronizing. Perhaps, as one other reviewer stated, men are not as evolved as I thought. There was a lot of emphasis on how women are emotional and a surprising amount of discussion around suppressing your sequel attraction to your mentee. If the men in my company need this kind of advice then I am not sure they are men I even want to learn from. I have heard the authors speak and in a short session where they can't spend so much time on things like emotions and pheromones, their ideas are much better received.
February 9, 2019
Hella weird book! There is sooooo much wrong in the text. You could pick at it for days. Most of the stuff is way too rudimentary (along the lines of "it's not good idea to sexually proposition your mentees").
So much of it won't be of much use in a more "woke" environments than the armed forces. Yet, the basic concepts it espouses - supporting without patronizing, listening as much as talking, speaking up - are hard to fault.
Overall, 2* as a read, but 3* for bringing these topics to the ultramacho environments.
So much of it won't be of much use in a more "woke" environments than the armed forces. Yet, the basic concepts it espouses - supporting without patronizing, listening as much as talking, speaking up - are hard to fault.
Overall, 2* as a read, but 3* for bringing these topics to the ultramacho environments.
June 14, 2021
I appreciate the work done for this book and the attempt to foster mentoring women. Parting thoughts sums up the hold of male attitudes- stating "you'll be a better man. For your good work, we thank you in advance." There are some good points but the authors have not been able to lift themselves out of traditional dominance and self appreciation to reach parity. It's a good start and attempt but self-congratulating and naive. The authors have a long way to go to really impact this problem and seem to have no insight into their limitations.
November 7, 2023
So starting this book I was very irritated as a woman. 2 personality’s and men only see woman as objects. By the half way point I started to see some of the oh that’s why they do this. And it was nice to hear it’s ok to cry and that my self confidence issues are normal when so many make me feel otherwise. Deff a good book to read if you want to help woman. But good lord. I swear I must be ugly cuz every dodnt act like physical contact is the only aspect of the relationship and takes self control or I’m obtuse.
August 6, 2019
Overall I felt that they did a great job of giving the how and why of mentoring women and I think it is a message that needs to be heard more. I think it is also important that it came from people in a historically male dominated industry to show that this can and needs to happen everywhere. A lot of the advice seams to be "duh" type of advice but I think on this topic it helps to address each topic directly and they did a good job of taking these on head on.
August 7, 2020
I thought in many ways this book was applicable for more than just male leaders of women. Leaders frequently assume that what they find important in their life is what you find important, and what their career path was is also best for you. That is obviously not at all true. The author anchors his argument around how men should be cognizant of how they lead women, but I think these skills will make you a better leader of everyone.
January 11, 2021
*Goodreads giveaway. I received this book for free.*
This is a no-nonsense manual for male mentors with female mentees. The language is plain and easily to follow, and the authors back up their suggestions with research and appropriate examples.
I appreciated the brevity (the manual itself is only about 160 pages) and the anecdotes from women who've offered their stories to illustrate certain points throughout the book.
This is a no-nonsense manual for male mentors with female mentees. The language is plain and easily to follow, and the authors back up their suggestions with research and appropriate examples.
I appreciated the brevity (the manual itself is only about 160 pages) and the anecdotes from women who've offered their stories to illustrate certain points throughout the book.
June 17, 2023
I read this because it was on the CSAF reading list. The choice to include it makes me think no one actually reads the books before including on the list.
The book is patronizing and sexist to both men and women. It reads like something out of the late 60's when men finally realized there might be something to this women's liberation thing. It's also somehow incredibly redundant despite being a very short book. Do better.
The book is patronizing and sexist to both men and women. It reads like something out of the late 60's when men finally realized there might be something to this women's liberation thing. It's also somehow incredibly redundant despite being a very short book. Do better.
March 9, 2024
This is good for any mentor… not just a mentor of women. There was a lot of latent sexism, despite trying to be anti-sexist. This should be titled “how and when to mentor” eliminate genders from the discussion and you have a great book.
As a side note, it’s a terrific reminder that it “can” be different when a man mentors a woman, but say that up front, and leave it there. Quit saying “women need a mentor that respects them.” Everyone needs that!
As a side note, it’s a terrific reminder that it “can” be different when a man mentors a woman, but say that up front, and leave it there. Quit saying “women need a mentor that respects them.” Everyone needs that!
February 3, 2019
From the reading list of the U.S. Special Operations Command General, this is the best mentorship book I ever read - while it’s a guide for men mentoring women, I found it applicable for women mentoring men. I also found valuable lessons for universal mentorship, as well as unintended insight to being a better mentee.
August 18, 2020
Five stars for the topic and approach of two guys writing it. Lost a couple of stars as would have liked to see more data aligned to the narrative. I attended one of their speaking events in 2019; this was why I bought the book. That data and economic points made a good business case that men must mentor women and women should mentor men.
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