Unwritten Rules: What Women Need To Know About Leading In Today's Organizations

by Lynn Harris

Unwritten What Women Need to Know About Leading in Today’s Organizations by Lynn Harris answers the question of why there are so few women in positions of senior leadership, and provides pragmatic advice and professional development for women leaders. Clearly written and convincingly told, Unwritten Rules explodes the leadership myths prevalent in the workplace today, and provides women with essential information to make informed choices about their careers and how to lead. Based on the most recent research, Unwritten Rules explores the specific challenges faced by women leaders and what it takes for them to succeed within the current leadership model. Harris also provides case studies and alternative routes for those who choose to step off the corporate career ladder. Groundbreaking and inspirational, Unwritten Rules should be on everyone’s business agenda and packed in every briefcase.

252 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2009

About the author

Lynn Harris is author of the comic novel DEATH BY CHICK LIT, along with its prequel, MISS MEDIA, and several non-fiction books including BREAKUP GIRL TO THE RESCUE! She is also co-creator, with Chris Kalb, of the venerable website BreakupGirl.net. An award-winning journalist, she writes frequently for Glamour, Salon.com, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Nerve.com, Babble.com, and many others. She also wrote TabletMag.com's "The Rabbi's Wife" column, from experience. Her essays are included in many anthologies as well. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and young daughter and son."

Reviews

[Malek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lynn Harris does a good job of explaining the challenges women face in reaching the top echelons of modern corporations. Much of what she discusses can be applied to other minority groups that may not be exposed to the "unwritten rules" of success within white male dominated leadership circles. The book is divided into three sections. The first covers the challenges women face versus ideal environments. The second describes practical approaches to working in today's real workplaces (ie adapting to the reality). The third section describes experiences of those women who decided not to adapt to the corporate environment and instead struck out on their own and made their own futures (entepeneurs, non-profit, etc).

This book is a valuable read for women to understand how to achieve success in today's workplace. It is even more valuable for men to understand the barriers they may unwittingly be creating/reinforcing and how this will reduce the diversity and competitiveness of their companies in the long run.