Lexington, KY - As times are changing, so are leaders. The September Forbes magazine list of the 100 most powerful women shows women business leaders are on the front lines of dramatic change around the world. Emerging economies are sometimes leading the way. In Brazil, for example, 11 percent of chief executives and 30 percent of senior executives are women. This compares with 3 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and 23 percent of senior executives in the United States.
Business authors are meeting this change with new insights into the changing dynamic of leadership. Included among new books in 2011 are three that proactively examine the reality that leadership is no longer business as usual.
Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You're Worth, by Mika Brzezinski (Weinstein Books, 2011)
Mika Brzezinski may seem to have it all: co-host for the MSNBC hit show Morning Joe, seemingly endless possibilities for success and a brilliant home life with two beautiful daughters.
The reality, as she shares in this personal account of her triumphs and failures as a professional woman, was somewhat different. For starters, she made 14 times less than her male co-host.
Despite long hours and an intense work schedule, she was not making ends meet. She was subsidizing her salary paying for her own travel and on-air wardrobe. She came to a brutal realization: "Ultimately, I had only myself to blame."
In Knowing Your Value, Brzezinski relates the obstacles women face in the contemporary workplace. Using her own story, she describes her own personal growth in coming to know her value. While the issues women face today remain monumental, she discovered that sometimes her own choices and behaviors held her back.
In addition to her story, she interviews prominent women across a broad range of businesses. Among these are Suze Orman, Tina Brown, Nora Ephron, and Arianna Huffington. Equally interesting is when she asks well-known men in business, including Jack Welch, Donald Trump and Donnie Deutsch, about the women issues in the workplace.
Telling both her story as well as providing a front-row seat to a diversity of outstanding business experts makes this a compelling read.
Nice Girls Just Don't Get It: 99 Ways to Win the Respect You Deserve, the Success You've Earned, and the Life You Want, by Lois P. Frankel and Carol Frohlinger (Crown Publishing, 2011)
When a woman puts everyone else's needs before her own, she is often thought of as a "nice girl." Nice girls often feel taken advantage of and not treated with the respect they deserve. Too often they fail to take action so as not to make waves or be considered high maintenance or needy.
While being nice may seem important, it usually doesn't bring success. Business or personal achievement occurs when women factor in their own needs along with those of others. According to the book's authors, women have been socialized to always put the needs of others before their own, to a degree that they often don't know what they want. The first step is to "see and say" with clarity. The next step is to take action.
The seven sections of the book each detail a strategy for building skills in self-awareness, communication and negotiation. Each broad strategy is presented with a how-to list of "tactics" - the tools. These divisions make for an easy-to-read guide that can be referenced over and over. For example, in the "Build Relationships That Work for You" section, 17 tactics are listed, including those for becoming a better listener and going outside your relationship comfort zone.
The book has a wide application, from dealing with difficult in-laws to negotiating a new position. Its insightful approach to all aspects of work and personal life makes for an interesting and enlightening read for anyone.
The New CEOs: Women, African American, Latino, and Asian American Leaders of Fortune 500 Companies by Richard L. Zweigenhaft (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2011)
Less than 15 years ago, there had been only three women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. There had been no African Americans.
The New CEOs focuses on changes in leadership at the senior level, arguably some of the most powerful positions in the country other than the presidency. The authors explore the development of women, African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans as they came to lead Fortune 500 companies. Expertly researched, the book presents not only the success stories of individuals, but also the impact on companies and the larger business world.
Filled with sometimes startling statistics, interviews with this new group of leaders make for compelling reading. These CEOs reveal how they came to power, the insights they gained, and how they differ from male CEOs who historically dominated major companies. They also address ongoing issues, including the current debate over CEO compensation.
There is little doubt that this influx of new CEOs is bringing major changes to an increasingly globalized world. The New CEOs should be on the must-read list for leaders and potential leaders in all organizations.