Powerfully Likeable: A Woman’s Guide to Better Communication

In this transformative guide, business coach Mason offers sensible pointers for women who feel there are only two leadership styles available to them: being powerful or being likable. Mason gives women permission to be themselves, arguing that communicating with authority doesn’t have to come at the cost of being well-liked. She explains that many women fall victim to “imposing syndrome,” or frequent apologizing for taking up others’ time or space. In one example, Mason shares the story of a female CFO who would say, “Hi, this will only take a second, it’s just Gina,” before delivering a weekly financial update to her company’s CEO. Mason points out that Gina not only minimized her contribution but also squandered an opportunity to impress the CEO with her expertise. To reclaim one’s “executive presence,” Mason proposes a method she calls the “Confidence Combination,” which blends masculine- and feminine-coded attributes to develop a comfortable leadership style. Examples include being “rationally compassionate” and espousing “driven warmth.” Noting that women are often made to feel they can’t afford to fail, Mason encourages them to visualize success as opposed to imagining failure. Rather than thinking through all possible points of failure when pursuing a project or goal, readers should plot out all possible points of success. This astute and relatable resource will be a game-changer for businesswomen. (Sept.)