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

by Brenda Wensil, Kathryn Heath

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.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2022

About the author

Brenda Wensil is a recognized expert on women’s leadership and dedicated to advancing women in the workforce. She is a managing director and heads the Leadership Acceleration practice at Bravanti, a preeminent firm in the field of leadership development.
Wensil served in numerous executive leadership roles in the financial services industry, including head of Customer Strategy for Wachovia, creating successful customer growth and retention strategies, developing brand, and expanding retail banking into new markets. She also developed and led global supply chain management programs for Barclays Bank in London. Wensil was the first-named chief customer experience officer at the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid in Washington D.C. She received the 2012 Executive Leadership Award from the U.S. secretary of education and was awarded the Service to the Citizen Award for customer experience in the federal arena.
Wensil has authored numerous articles on women’s leadership and inclusive leadership behaviors for Harvard Business Review. She is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist on the topic of women’s leadership and customer experience strategy.
Wensil holds a master’s degree in organization development and executive coaching from the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte and a BA in journalism from the University of South Carolina. She is a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation and a Board Certified Coach by the Center for Credentialing and Education. She is a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Reviews

[Alycia Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having gone through the Bravanti program and now reading this book I now have the tools I need to succeed I a male dominated career field. I only wish I had this book 4 years ago when I got my first leadership role. So so many things in here I resonated with and highly recommend this book for all women but also the men to read to better understand the challenges women face and how to help.

[Sarah G · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 no-nonsense and straight to the source handbook on how to handle many obstacles women face in the workplace. Nothing in this book struck me as filler or trendy - just experts giving their best advice from what they've seen with practical tips and reflection questions! One of the best business books I've found in a long time and will absolutely be revisiting it throughout my career!!

[Lisa Kosak · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started my career in the mid 1990s there were no podcasts, internet was dial up, and there were few resources to guide women. We were the blind leading the blind. Young women today have so many resources and mentors at their fingertips. As experienced professionals we “wiser women” have advice and war stories to share. Young woman – you are not alone and there is a tribe of women to guide you!

Twenty-five years ago, I could have used the advice from Brenda Wensil and Kathryn Heath in their book I Wish I’d Known This. They share six valuable career-accelerating secrets for woman leaders. There are numerous real-life stories about women who have stumbled at work including the struggles they experienced and what they could have done differently. Each experience offers alternative strategies and a “coach on your shoulder.” Along with coaching, each chapter offers a summary of highlights and key points. The end of the book has an individual and group discussion to review what the reader learned in the book and how it is applicable to your life and career. Moreover, so many of us feel like we are working blind and I Wish I’d Known This details blind spots that we either ignore or just do not want to acknowledge.

So, what are the six secrets women need to know and the blind spots?

Career drift: You need a vision, strategies, and a plan

Lake of self-awareness: Know who you are and how you land with others

Vague reputationality: Get known for something and tell your story. What is reputationality? It is your reputation and your personality that work together to “support your narrative”

Operating on autopilot: Install a career GPS to guide you

Missing the point pf preparation. Be strategic about the outcome you want

Trying to go it alone: We all need to assemble a posse to achieve professional and personal happiness

Women should think like a CEO regarding our careers. Too often we work blind and fail to establish a career vision. We must take the reins of our career rather than allowing others to direct how we grow. Start today to learn where you want to go and how to open your eyes to the blind spots working against you.

[Steve Bullington · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I wish I’d known this”

How many times has each of us asked that question? When we took on a new hobby. When we became a parent. When we started a new job.

Now imagine that you are becoming a people leader for the first time. What about if you are a woman, a young professional, or a person from an underrepresented group becoming a leader for the first time? How helpful would it be to have a coach on your shoulder to help you navigate the new waters you’ve entered?

That is the point of the new book I Wish I’d Known This: 6 Career-Accelerating Secrets for Women Leaders by Brenda Wensil and Kathryn Heath. I had an opportunity to be an early reader of this book and these authors truly serve as that coach on your shoulder when you are getting started.

They have broken the book down into 6 secrets that may not help you through every challenge you’ll face as a leader but they are a darn good start. They include:
Career Drift
Lack of Self-Awareness
Vague Reputaionality (brand)
Operating on Autopilot
Missing the Point of Preparation
Trying to go it alone

Each secret is introduced by sharing stories that the authors have gathered over their thousands of coaching sessions and that then leads to a definition of the Blind Spot associated with that secret. My favorite part of each chapter is the Coach on Your Shoulder where they provide you with questions that you can honestly ask yourself to gauge where you are in your position with that secret. They then provide you with Strategies to navigate that secret and the Stories that Hold You Back and how to Reframe the Story to help you succeed.

While this book is specifically written for women, I truly believe that it is useful for anyone preparing to or stepping into a new leadership role. Many of the challenges the authors outline are just as much of a challenge for a young leader or a person from an underrepresented group as they are for women and the tactics they lay out are just as valid.

If you are ponding a role as a leader, this is just the coach on your shoulder to help you get started.

#2022books

https://amzn.to/3zRNFWE

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I would have had this back when I was working in the corporate world! However, now that I am managing my own company of one - the many tips in here I can utilize for people to take me serious as I present my business.

Being stepped on or over back at the beginning of my career, I can see that I truly was not the only one. Not that I doubted that, but the authors gave great insight to how to overcome those issues. If you're just beginning your career - grab this book and learn!!! Stand up for yourself, hold those shoulders back and do what you are called to do.

I recommend this to any women in the working world.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no expectation in return. The comments and thoughts above are my own.

[Sabrina]

This is a good, quick read/listen (but you're probably going to want to read it more than once).

In this book, Wensil says you'll want to focus on one or two topics at a time when you're making changes, and I absolutely get that. These are simple concepts, but they're built on so well that if you're going to put focus on any one (or two) area(s), you'll want to refresh on what you're coming back to when you get there. Additionally, I think this is the kind of book that will read differently to you at different points in your career, and so might be well serviced by revisiting it once every five years or major transition.

While this book is geared towards women, I do think it's generally solid advice for all people interested in leadership roles.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this book has excellent advice that can be applied by anyone, regardless of their gender identity. I found their breakdown of the different roles you need to have people in incredibly helpful. I also really liked their practical advice about how to take advantage of your skills, knowledge, and experience and use those to find new opportunities, whether that's projects internally or a new job altogether. I listened to the audiobook and found myself making bookmarks so that I could re-listen to sections and take notes on them.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for any career woman! A great call to action for women to take initiative and be proactive in their careers. Contains action items and practical tips to incorporate into your daily life.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a practical guide to identifying blind spots and challenges for women in the corporate world. We’re using this book for a book club I’m leading at work, and I think it will go over well.

[jirasol · Rating 5 out of 5]

short, straight to the point. Went over some things I’ve been taught to do in many workshops/classrooms/programs, and also the why which is equally important but never as emphasized as it was in this book.

[Jenniferrr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and pragmatic! Not full of blustery magical thinking like so many career books.

[RobiNevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, practical and easy to
Implement advice from seasoned executive coaches.

[Ashleigh Apostolovski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the take on success and leadership as a female. I will need to remember to come back to this at various stages of my career.

[Jenny Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the story about the broom which served as a central thread through the book was used in a bizarrely self-aggrandizing way, the advice itself was generally fairly straight forward. The authors argue the importance of the following steps:
1. Have a vision for your career
2. Know yourself
3. Build a brand
4. Solicit feedback
5. Build relationships
6. Over-prepare for presentations
All solid recommendations. Even if I hate the word 'brand,' I'll concede that it's not inaccurate. All of us who have yet to reach financial independence are for sale.

[Jennifer Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and learned a lot of positive tips for my professional development! A group of coworkers and I will be discussing it in a book club during work (lunchtime) next week and I’m excited. This is also perfect timing too since we are completing our year-end performance assessments right now. A few quotes from the book below were some highlights, listed in chronological order. :)

“A 2018 article in the Harvard Business Review points out that women are expected to exhibit warmth and kindness, but when they do so, they are seen as less competent or rigorous. Women are told they must be authoritative to be considered credible, but when they are, they are also seen as arrogant. They are expected to serve others and the business and are reviewed with suspicious if they advocate service to themselves.” (Chapter 1)
> I haven’t seen this yet in my current employer, but I have in previous employers.

“If you’re going to be in charge of your career, you have to think like a CEO. And that means getting clear about your direction, establishing goals, and developing a strategy for achieving them.” (Chapter 1)

“If you don’t know exactly where you want to go, how will you find a map or ask for directions? You’re at risk for getting lost or stuck in a place you don’t want to be.” (Chapter 1)

“She was told that she was pushy and interruptive when she interjected comments at meetings to set the record straight or redirect the conversation. When her male colleagues did the same thing, they were seen as having something important to say.” (Chapter 2)
> This has been so much of my career. Again, I haven’t seen this yet in my current employer (thank goodness), but I have in previous employers.

“Feedback is your friend.” (Chapter 4)

“What would you do differently next time to make it better?” (Chapter 4)