Dare - Hardcover

by Becky Blalock (Author)

From a veteran Fortune 500 executive, how women can reach and succeed in top leadership positions

Though women hold a majority of the managerial and professional jobs in the workforce, they occupy a mere 14% of C-suite positions at Fortune 500 firms. To break through this stubborn glass ceiling, women must learn to take bold steps when career-defining moments arise. During her 33-year career at Southern Company, a Fortune 500 utility company, Becky Blalock rose to become CIO in a traditionally male industry. Now she offers her own hard-won advice, as well as that of 28 top female executives, to show all aspiring women how to dare to reach the highest tier of leadership and C-suite positions.

• Includes advice and mentoring lessons from top women business leaders such as: Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA; Kat Cole, President of Cinnabon; Carol Tomé, CFO of Home Depot; Dr. Beverly Tatum, president of Spelman College, and Jeanette Horan, CIO of IBM, among many others
• Features straightforward, honest advice on gaining confidence, speaking up, finding mentors, learning to fail, building a network of allies, managing others, and more
• Written by pioneering business leader Becky Blalock, with a Foreword by Anne Mulcahy, former chairperson and CEO of Xerox Corporation

Dare is must-needed guide for women everywhere, at every level, striving to develop the character, skills, and relationships that deliver greater success in the workplace.

Front Jacket

"Women need to be more open to new opportunities; to take more risks; to say yes, even when they're unsure. Women need to dare."
--From the Introduction

Though women hold a majority of the managerial and professional jobs in the workforce, they occupy a mere 14 percent of C-suite positions at Fortune 500 firms. What do women need to know to destroy this stubborn glass ceiling once and for all? How can women learn to take bold steps when career-defining moments arise?

During her 33-year career at Southern Company, a Fortune 500 utility company, Becky Blalock rose to become CIO in a traditionally male- dominated industry. Her own hard-won advice will show any woman how to rise to the top job.

Alongside Becky's story, Dare shares guidance and mentoring lessons from twenty-eight top female executives, and is based on Becky's personal conversations with such luminaries as Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA; Kat Cole, president of Cinnabon; Carol Tomé, CFO of Home Depot; Dr. Beverly Tatum, president of Spelman College; Hala Moddelmog, president of Arby's; Jeanette Horan, CIO of IBM; and many others. Armed with the wisdom of these remarkable leaders, any woman can learn how to gain confidence, speak up, find mentors, bounce back from failure, build a network of allies, and manage others--and ultimately dare to reach the highest tier of leadership and C-suite positions.

Dare is a must-have guide for women everywhere, at every level, striving to develop the character, skills, and relationships that deliver greater success in the workplace.

Back Jacket

"Women need to be more open to new opportunities; to take more risks; to say yes, even when they're unsure. Women need to dare."
--FROM THE INTRODUCTION

Though women hold a majority of the managerial and professional jobs in the workforce, they occupy a mere 14 percent of C-suite positions at Fortune 500 firms. What do women need to know to destroy this stubborn glass ceiling once and for all? How can women learn to take bold steps when career-defining moments arise?

During her 33-year career at Southern Company, a Fortune 500 utility company, Becky Blalock rose to become CIO in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Her own hard-won advice will show any woman how to rise to the top job.

Alongside Becky's story, Dare shares guidance and mentoring lessons from twenty-eight top female executives, and is based on Becky's personal conversations with such luminaries as Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA; Kat Cole, president of Cinnabon; Carol Tomé, CFO of Home Depot; Dr. Beverly Tatum, president of Spelman College; Hala Moddelmog, president of Arby's; Jeanette Horan, CIO of IBM; and many others. Armed with the wisdom of these remarkable leaders, any woman can learn how to gain confidence, speak up, find mentors, bounce back from failure, build a network of allies, and manage others--and ultimately dare to reach the highest tier of leadership and C-suite positions.

Dare is a must-have guide for women everywhere, at every level, striving to develop the character, skills, and relationships that deliver greater success in the workplace.

Author Biography

Becky Blalock is the former SVP and CIO of Southern Company, a Fortune 500 utilities firm. Under her leadership, Southern Company delivered over a billion dollars in new technology initiatives and was recognized as one of the "100 Most Innovative Companies" by CIO magazine and one of the "100 Best Places to Work in IT" by Computerworld magazine. Becky has also received numerous awards for her work on behalf of women's initiatives. Today, she is a partner with Advisory Capital, where she provides strategic consulting, and is a board member to companies in energy, information technology, and medicine. Becky lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Jim, and their daughter, Alex.