Book Review: I’d Rather Be In Charge
Beers, Charlotte. I’d rather be in charge : a legendary business leader’s roadmap for achieving pride, power and joy at work. Vanguard Press, 2012.
Charlotte Beers, former CEO of Ogilvy & Mather and Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs from 2001 to 2003, talks about women, leadership, and advertising on Tuesday, April 10, at the Perkins Library’s Gothic Reading Room, open reception at 5 PM, followed by presentation at 6 PM.
In I’d Rather Be in Charge, Charlotte Beers chronicles her successes and missteps in her trailblazing career in the advertising industry, as she advises women who face their own workplace challenges in achieving positions of leadership.
Beers explains that women and men have different leadership styles and while women work hard, they are rarely included in the tight circle of decision makers at the very top of their organizations, a world still dominated by men. Women need to change the way they see themselves and the way they communicate to highlight their own potential. Women also need to choose to be bolder and braver to make their leadership skills obvious to decision makers.
Believing that self-knowledge is critical for true leadership, Beers advises women to keep a journal and to consider how family history influences behavior. She also describes ways to identify one’s own inner drives. Beers explains that self-assessment enhances emotional intelligence and magnifies work performance.
The latter part of the book is about navigating the world of work, including topics such as, developing and maintaining work relationships, making presentations, and assuming the lead. Written in a conversational tone, this book is engaging and thought provoking to the end.
© Reviewer: Meg Trauner & Ford Library – Fuqua School of Business.
All rights reserved.
Tags: Leadership, Success