Going to the Top

Among the profound differences in the world of business today are the changing opportunities for women. Though they have entered the professional workforce in vast numbers, Carol Gallagher points out in her book Going to the Top that only "3 percent of top executives in America's Fortune 500 companies are women." Through a series of over 200 in-depth interviews with female executives at some of America's best companies (including America Online, Intel, and Sun Microsystems), Gallagher identifies "power tips" and strategies for rising to—and staying on—the top. Each chapter offers a key learning point: focus on the big picture, create alliances, help others be successful, take risks, be yourself, and find advocates. Solid in her research, Gallagher points out the entrepreneurial methods by which these successful executives conducted their varied careers. Going to the Top sets forth a plan for women who want, in Gallagher's words, "to win, who love the power, and who dream about finding and climbing through the windows in the glass ceiling."