Product Description

Turn the top 7 career breakers for women into career makers

Statistically, more than one-third of Fortune 500 managers are women-and yet we represent barely five percent of the top earners among executives. Usually, we blame it on men-those “old boy” networks that don't typically welcome women into “the club.” But, according to leadership coach Rebecca Shambaugh, the real obstacle to women's advancement is not a “glass ceiling.” It's the self-imposed career blocks that prevent us from moving up.

These are the 7 “sticky floors”:

1. Balancing Your Work and Life

2. Embracing “Good Enough” in Your Work

3. Making the Break

4. Making Your Words Count

5. Forming Your Own Board of Directors

6. Capitalizing on Your Political Savvy

7. Asking for What You Want

Admit it: You've probably been “stuck” in at least one or more of these situations. Maybe you're a perfectionist who has trouble letting go of a task. Maybe you're so loyal to your company that you haven't explored other career options. Maybe you're afraid of speaking up in meetings. Or maybe you're so accommodating to others' needs that you never take care of your own.

This book will show you how to get unstuck from these common traps. You'll discover how other successful women have managed to break out of middle management jobs to grab the top leadership positions. You'll hear hard-won advice from working mothers who also happen to be CEOs, including proven tricks of the trade when it comes to juggling career and family. You'll learn how to conquer your insecurities, transform your thinking, tailor your behavior, and demand the kind of professional recognition you deserve. There's even a section of fill-in charts and checklists at the end of the book to help you stay on track, in control, and on the rise.

Once you've freed yourself from life's sticky floors, there's nowhere to go but up.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #215922 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Forget the old boys' club: women are the ones holding themselves back from top-level career success, advises Shambaugh, president and CEO of consulting firm Shambaugh Leadership. Though more businesswomen are in successful positions of power, they are still lagging behind men at the highest levels: more than a third of Fortune 500 managers and more than half of those with multidisciplinary master's degrees are women, yet women hold only 13% of Fortune 500 CEO positions. This lack of forward motion is due more substantially to women's own career-inhibiting behavior than to cultural impediments, Shambaugh claims. Women are more likely than men to shy away from leadership roles, to get bogged down in perfectionism and to avoid career-boosting changes out of a misplaced sense of loyalty. Through a series of exercises and self-appraisals, Shambaugh guides readers with executive suite aspirations through an evaluation of their own behaviors and skills, gauging which serve their ambitions and which are holding them back. Emphasizing strategic relationships, communication and the elements of executive presence, she writes in an encouraging tone with a refreshing lack of blame, making this a satisfying read for women stuck in middle management limbo. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

Break Through Your Fears-and Embrace Your Own Power

“Becky Shambaugh has written a wonderful book that should inspire women to believe in themselves and become great leaders in the 21st century. She believes women have to be courageous risk takers to reach their goals and to be self-motivating. She cites many of her own personal examples as the way to go. It's a great guidebook for women to step up the ladder.”-Helen Thomas, member, White House Press Corps., former White House Bureau Chief, UPI

“Insightful and thought provoking! Here is a guide to career and life success that is filled with practical tips to escape the career limiting 'sticky floors.' The effective use of real-world examples from strong leaders makes for a most enjoyable read. And the presentation of actionable items and practical tips sets her book apart from the many books in the market. As a hiring executive and a mentor I believe this is a must read for both businessmen and businesswomen!”-Tom Kendra, group president, Security & Data Management Group (SDMG), Symantec Corporation

“Becky Shambaugh's book, It's Not a Glass Ceiling, It's a Sticky Floor is a valuable new tool to help women unleash themselves from their own preconceived notions and move to new levels of leadership and significance.”-Frances Hesselbein, chairman and founding president, Leader to Leader Institute

About the Author

Rebecca Shambaugh is the founder, president, and CEO of SHAMBAUGH Leadership, which was recently selected by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top entrepreneurial companies in the Washington, D.C. area. She began her career as a human relations specialist at General Motors and has worked for several major corporations.

Her Web site is www.shambaughleadership.com.

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Customer Reviews

Sticky Floor
This is a "must read" for all women who are working towards a career in business. There are also many concepts and explanations about behaviors and traits that could benefit anyone.

Great Book! Good information, easy to read, and makes sense!
This book has helped me recognize several factors holding me back in my job position. It is an easy read, with heplful useful information that is practical. I feel I have been able to excel and optimize my skills at my job position by implementing the recommendations outlined in the book. If you are at all doubting your abilities as a manager, and you are a women, this book is a must.

Not just for women..............
This book, although marketed to women, has many things that men can also use as they climb the organizational ladder. Becky Shambaugh stresses the importance of first knowing yourself and then deciding what it is that you want. She peppers the book with many effective personal and professional anecdotes and stories to punctuate her points. This is more than a book. It is a manual for turning your professional life around. The "Sticky Floor" metaphor is a powerful reframe that changes the context of what it is that prevents us from moving up. Barriers are not imposed by anyone except us. Shambaugh does a masterful job of guiding us to put on a new pair of Teflon shoes - non-stick shoes that only we can create for ourselves.