News & Archive

(August 26, 2004)

A Woman's Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success

By Deborah M. Kolb, Judith Williams, and Carol Frohlinger

Her Place at the Table is a practical guide for any woman dealing with a demanding role. Drawing on extensive interviews with women leaders, the authors isolate five key challenges that these women face:

• Intelligence: informed decisions require good information, but getting it can be a tricky proposition for women
• Backing: no one wants to take on a tough job without the support of major players, but allies can't be taken for granted
• Resources: allocations don’t always square with the results expected
• Buy-In: it's impossible to lead if no one will follow, but bringing a team on board can be problematic
• Making a Difference: the value a leader creates must be visible before it makes a difference

For each challenge, the authors offer tips on avoiding common traps and then lay out the strategic moves for success. The book includes numerous stories from real women negotiating leadership challenges, and concludes each chapter with a practical guide to putting the principles to work.

Her Place at the Table may be ordered online at the Program on Negotiation Clearinghouse.

Online resources for Her Place at the Table including the table of contents, excerpts, and an electronic version of the book are available at wiley.com.

Deborah Kolb is co-director of PON's Program on Negotiations in the Workplace, Professor of Management at Simmons School of Management, and the founder and co-director of the Simmons Center for Gender in Organizations. Kolb and Judith Williams are also the authors of Everyday Negotiation: Navigating the Hidden Agendas in Bargaining.