15 Lies Women Are Told at Work

Book excerpt: What holds women back at work? Bonnie Hammer, one of the most powerful women in corporate America, debunks the bad advice that too many women get—and reveals the surprising, yet straightforward truths that will help all of us succeed. Bonnie Hammer’s legendary career spans five decades in a turbulent, male-driven industry. Today, Bonnie is a powerful leader at the very top of her field, and women at all levels constantly ask her: What is your secret to success? Her power—and her staying power—comes from rejecting common myths about how women are “supposed” to act in the workplace. She knows that the traditional wisdom women are told about work—pithy phrases like “don’t mix work with play,” “talk is cheap,” “follow your dreams,” “know your worth,” “trust your gut,” and “you can have it all”—hold women back. Having risen from an entry-level production assistant whose chief charge was a dog, to a transformative, top executive at NBCUniversal, Bonnie challenges conventional workplace wisdom and shares the uncommon sense women need to succeed. Bonnie has mentored countless women in every industry, and she leads NBCUniversal’s masterclass for female executives. She’s known for telling the uncensored and uncompromising truth—even when it isn’t easy to hear. Now, she gives you, the reader, her private masterclass—replacing the lies women have been fed about work with her unique time-tested wisdom. You will leave with powerful new truths and easily digestible, practical advice to apply in your own life. Written with humor and heart, and full of insights and research that illuminate her points, 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work is a portable mentor for working women. It doesn’t just explain one woman’s rise to the top in a tough industry; it shows how any woman can rise as high as she wants in her own work world.