When assertive becomes way-too-aggressive, there is a way out.
4/15/2002
In business it's good to be tough. But office bullies who are male are more readily accepted in corporate corridors than their female counterparts, or "bully broads," says author Jean Hollands. It ain't fair—but it's a fact. In this engaging and often funny book, Hollands, a consultant and executive coach in Silicon Valley, offers plenty of tips to help talented yet hard-charging women executives channel their energies for success instead of self-sabotage. (The tips, case studies, and exercises are no less useful for dealing with male toughies, by the way.) "It could take another hundred years to find the exact and comfortable leadership niche that fits our female culture and personal attributes," Hollands writes. That said, the sensible self-reflection engendered by this book offers a path for learning to be direct and authoritative instead of just plain intimidating.