It is a problem created by longstanding and deeply entrenched biases against ambitious women, but that doesn’t mean it’s an intractable one; we can, and must, seek out inspiration, or even inspire ourselves to push through, challenge ourselves, and chase after what we want. That’s why I’m going to share with you some of the books that inspire me as a businesswoman to keep fighting, keep striving, and keep pushing forward. These are leaders – men and women alike – whose insight, work ethic, and vision never fail to call me to be a better leader, a better thinker, and a better doer. I hope they’ll inspire you, too.
Broken Open - Elizabeth Lesser
This might seem like an unexpected place to start, but Elizabeth Lesser’s Broken Open has been a life-changer, not only for my personal life, but for my professional life as well. And why is that? Because it’s all about using moments of failure and hurt to spark positive growth and change. Essentially, it’s about openness and flexibility, and putting together the emotional toolbox to turn perceived failures into opportunities for development.
Simply put, that’s an invaluable skill – and mindset really – for a businesswoman to develop, because the world is very unkind to ambitious women. You will be challenged, attacked, frustrated, and hindered, and you need to have the ability to get right back into the saddle and turn that experience into something worthwhile. And if or when businesses or initiatives fail, it’s absolutely critical to not let that cripple your ambition and drive, but instead to use it as a kind of fuel. Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back; be bold and go forward knowing that every setback brings you one step closer to success. That’s what Broken Open reinstills in me every time I read it.
Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection - Debora Spar
To know where you are, you have to know where you’ve been, and Spar’s retrospective on the decades of Western feminism since the publication of The Feminine Mystique is a good crash course on the gains we’ve made as well as the ones we haven’t. This reality – that we’ve made very real progress but in so many ways remain fundamentally held back – is part of why I’m such a strong advocate for women’s entrepreneurialism: it’s essentially a bold power grab, a revolutionary act of economic and social independence.
That’s what makes Wonder Women such an important book: it’s all about understanding the impossible expectations women are subject to so we can break them down and essentially liberate ourselves from them, freeing us up to pursue our own goals and satisfy our own needs. The critical self-examination this book demands – how am I playing this game of my own volition? How is it harming me? – is a vital part of any woman’s ventures into as stereotypically a “man’s world” as business and a critical skill we must all develop if we seek any kind of meaningful self-freedom as both women and as individuals.
