Welcome to SmartCompany‘s monthly book review where we’ll review a business book to help you thrive in business.
This month we’re talking about Women Rising by Megan Dalla-Camina.
This is a book written by a woman, for women; it should, however, be read by all. Dalla-Camina was a 2024 NSW Telstra Best of Business award recipient for her Women Rising program and has extensive experience working as a women’s leadership and empowerment coach. Women Rising is the culmination of her work experience, her program of the same name, and her research.
I found Women Rising to be eye-opening. Dalla-Camina argues that women are still limited by invisible forces she labels the six paradoxes. Underpinned by historical patriarchal power structures, Dalla-Camina identifies a passive patriarchy that still exists today, and this limits workplace opportunities for women. She highlights workplace contradictions like “be confident but not too confident” and “be visible but don’t promote yourself” as examples of expected behaviours so deeply embedded into women’s consciousness that they almost don’t realise they are there. This book brings these challenges for women to the fore.
The second half of the book addresses 13 archetypes typical of the self-limiting beliefs that prevent women from rising to senior workplace roles. These include identifying the inner critic, recognising self-doubt and adopting a people-pleaser role. Dalla-Camina does an excellent job outlining complexities of negative self-talk, beliefs and behaviours I expect women will readily identify with when reading the archetypes described in the book.
Part three of the book help women to address these limitations by reflecting on life vision, career goals and a commitment to self-care. Dalla-Camina provides the reader with a strategy to overcome invisible barriers and carve a career formulated on the reader’s own terms. Each section prompts the reader to reflect and action career development practices.
Women working on a career progression strategy will find this book a useful read. It is not your typical career development how-to guide. It provides insights into navigating advancement opportunities by identifying possible restraints they need to address. In fact, this book is recommended reading for anyone part of a corporate workplace to highlight social norms that may be hindering the advancement of women in the workplace.
The format of the book makes it an easy read. The book is divided in three parts, making it easy to navigate.
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The business book specialist Rereadable.com.au or any major bookstore.
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Leanne Faulkner is our resident book reviewer and the founder of the specialist business bookstore – Rereadable. Faulkner has worked as a small business mental health advocate for over 10 years, and has consulted on a range of projects supporting the small business community. She has also worked with COSBOA, ATO, Beyond Blue and ASBFEO. After completing her PhD on the mental health challenges in small business, Faulkner identified the link between business skills, confidence and stress at work. When not immersed in a business book, she is an in-demand keynote speaker with a focus on the mental health of the small business sector.
