I wasn't aware this was for Christian women, which I am so I found it helpful and insightful the ways that women unknowingly sabotage our success in the workplace with our "thinking" but some readers may not agree with the religious leadership approach in the book. It's also more of a how to be assertive and deal with men in the workplace rather than changing the workplace to have more equity kind of book. I did enjoy the appendix which contains "Words of Wisdom from Winning Women" and the notes are a great help for reference if you want to find out more.

Lead Like a Woman to me seems more or less like a typical leadership book aimed at Christian female. Which means I was not the target market. I went back and re-read the blurb, there was no mention of religion or spirituality.

The blurb caught my attention but after that I lost my interest and didn't read this book. Maybe next time.

Deborah Smith Pegues is a CPA/MBA, certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach and Speaker, Bible teacher, and international speaker. She has written 18 transformational books, including the bestselling 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue (over one million sold worldwide) and The One-Minute Money Mentor for Women. Honestly this all to me is a bad sign, the perfect recipe for the type of person out to get your cash for little to no return at all. Surprised at the size of her audience.
Lead Like a Woman to me seems like a more or less typical leadership book aimed at Christian female entrepreneurs, piggy-backing on the modern trend surrounding the feminist movement. It mostly discusses strategies to motivate your employees, from the classic "make sure to buff their paycheck in accordance" to "give them more freedom" tactics.
This is not a book aimed at professionals (who would not have become professionals without having mastered the super basic notions found in this book), but instead more at female aspirants aiming to revamp their career and climb up come social ladder. As such the vocabulary used is very colloquial and the examples given designed to hit close to home, often putting the reader in a position where they have to trust the author for her word and very rarely is redirected to evidence.
Expect the usual compassion talk typical to Christians, mixed with more generic advice as "the key is communication".
I didn't consider her accounts of her doing her work and anticipating what her position would require as "intuition" but rather her experience and capacity to stay ahead. Intuition sounds in turn much more mystical. I did, however, enjoy the discussion about "motivation being multidimensional". I did not agree with her statement that "resilience is in women's DNA" as this is a very dubious and unfounded statement (as there are many others in the book).
Working with people is complicated and challenging. You have to adapt yourself to the size and configuration of your work environment, while remaining as objective and professional as possible. The nature of your work and your position also determines the degree to which you ought to allow anything personal sip into the workplace. As a professional in the hospitality department myself, as an atheist too, I don't really feel like this book offered me anything of value.

Some women will really need this to help them find their confidence to lead and stop retreating to the background or being too afraid to speak. She offers her own stories and insights to help others navigate the waters of being a leader, even if they aren't in a leadership role. Suggestions such as being emotional savvy to understand others is a true gem for anyone to know, as well as understanding value. Good information, good insight in that being a leader means excellence, humility, and treating others wells . Overall, a decent read about women and leadership.

I have read several books on leadership in my time. And well, this one isn't high on my list of recommendations. The book starts off with so many stereotypes that need to be busted and I'm like, I don't fit it into any of these. Then it goes into how women are unique and then how to use those traits to lead differently then men.

Frankly, it is a no brainer that women and men are different. We all have a place in this world and we all have different ways of doing things. And each leader needs to find their way of leading that is honestly, unique to them. If you've not read many books on leadership, then this may be the book for you. However, if you have, you may want to find another book to read on the subject.

Brilliant! Who doesn’t, as a woman, want to read and learn from other strong women? In a world where it is hard to become a woman in a leader position, as we have to work so hard to get there, it is excellent to read about a successful journey and learn better ways to lead and be as strong as possible, as a woman. Even if you don’t intend to be a leader, you can still lead like a strong woman, within your own life.

Over the past year, leaders at my office began to examine the women are treated differently than the men to make sure we are all treated fairly. Having come across Lead Like a Woman, I was curious to see if any of the issues we've discussed are mentioned here. And as a (new) leader at my office, I was very much looking forward to learning how to improve in my position, and especially to do this without having to become someone or something I'm not. So I gladly grabbed a copy.

Now, keep in mind that I am not a fan of the "up with women - down with men" mentality, so I was a little cautious as I began reading. I really didn't want to read about that! And I was quite pleased to find early on that the author made it very clear this would not be the case. Yay! Score one point already.

I do tend to read non-fiction more slowly than fiction, so it took several sittings and several weeks for me to finish. It was well written and informative and I found myself resonating with the things that were said. As I read through the chapters on the strengths, complete with examples and quotes from other women in leadership, I found myself nodding my head in agreement and being pleased that I can continue to use my unique giftings but didn't feel like I was encountering anything new earth-shattering.

This changed, however, in the section about potential pitfalls. Several of the examples of traps women leaders (and I would say women in general) fall into and ways they can change the thinking that keeps them caught in patterns that are not healthy or good for their career resonated with me. I was glad for the examples and the coaching of what to do in these situations.

I also appreciated the insight that while some of the wrong attitudes of men toward women in the office are not likely to change anytime soon, there are appropriate ways to handle them that allow women to be assertive without being perceived as aggressive.

Written from a Christian minority woman's perspective, the book is well balanced, interesting, and relevant with advice that falls in line with conservative Christian doctrine, and common sense.

Whether you are a woman in a position of leadership, or even a non-leader in the workplace, I recommend Lead Like a Woman. Men would probably also benefit from reading it to get more of a perspective of what it is like for women and to increase their awareness and understanding. Personally, I recommend a physical copy instead of an ebook for this. My Kindle copy was just not as easy to use as a reference...

This priceless resource for all women, regardless of where they lead.

Ms Peques provides actionable and thought provoking content.

Highly recommended!

I would recommend this book to any Christian woman in leadership. Books like this are heard to find and the ones that exist are written by men from a man's perspective. I found most insightful the ways that we (women) unknowingly sabotage our own success in the workplace with our "thinking".

Ms Pegues provides straight up good advice on balancing one's womanhood and the job that needs to get done. She breaks down several values that godly women should espouse and the consequences of when they fall short. I likes that she also gave personal examples from her own life like when she joined an organisation and reached out to a fellow Christian woman so that they could be mentor each other. She later found out that her colleague was gossiping behind her back! So naturally she chose to maintain an arm's length type of relationship. In short, know better, do better. I also liked that she used new to me Biblical examples which made me dig out my Bible like in the case of daughters of Zelophehad which she used to illustrate developing negotiation skills.
Overall, this book should be placed in the hands of Christian women starting out in their careers.

Be unique as a woman in leadership
Former Fortune 500 executive, leadership coach, speaker, and author of multiple books, Deborah Smith Pegues dedicates her book "Lead Like a Woman. Gain Confidence, Navigate Obstacles, Empower Others", published by Harvest House Publishers, to all women who lead or influence others. The book is divided into two parts: 1) "Inherent Traits to Embrace and Manage" with chapters entitled such as "Nurturing: Finding and Mining the Gold in Others", "Motivational: Inspiring Results", or "Principled: Being a Values-Driven Leader", and 2) "Counterproductive Tendencies to Let Go" with chapters such as "Lacking Confidence", "Forsaking Work-Life Balance", or "Expecting Instead of Asking". The appendix contains "Words of Wisdom from Winning Women" and the notes are a great help for reference and further study. Pegues start every chapter with quotes from leaders or from the Bible. She makes it clear that woman in leadership do not have to act like men and copy their approaches. In the epilogue she states: "Yes, men have had the advantage since the beginning of time, but times are changing. Our goal now is not to gain the upper hand but to learn to walk hand in hand with them. We need each other to be fruitful, to be profitable. It is God’s way" (p. 199). She sets a good example with her leadership and a challenge for other women leaders, stating: "I want to make sure that my motivation for doing anything is God-honoring versus ego-gratifying (p. 200).
I highly recommend this book to all women leaders. It contains a lot of practical tips and it is not a book that needs to be read from the first to the last page. Chapters can be chosen randomly by the readers to satisfy their needs, choosing the topics that interest them most because the chapters are closed in themselves. Pegues lives what she wrote about. She does not presents only personal examples but also examples from well-known leaders and parts of interviews with leaders. It is good to be aware that she also refers to the Bible and gives lots of practical tips.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#LeadLikeAWoman #NetGalley

Lead Like A Woman is divided into two parts: 'Inherent Traits to Embrace and Manage' and 'Counterproductive Tendencies to Let Go'.

The entire book works on a generalising of "female traits and tendencies", whether it is a natural or taught one--this is helpful in some areas, not so helpful in others. Still, any book that addresses gender stereotypes will have to make generalisations. It's up to the reader to filter through which ones are applicable to their individual personality/makeup.

Deborah Smith Pegues brings a wealth of knowledge to the conversation, explaining how to utilise your natural strengths and tendencies in the workplace, whilst being aware of and working around your weaknesses. I especially liked the way she highlighted and challenged the way certain traits (nurturing, intuition, vulnerability) are seen as a liability--and demonstrated with examples how they can be utilised to bring positive impact to the workplace.

As a Christian book, each chapter quotes various scriptures and Pegues is also open about how her faith has impacted the way she does things and how she relies on God in many situations that arise.

The only disgruntlement I have is the fact that in some of the "tendencies to let go" the advice is still working around or catering to men's expectations in the workplace. That said, until the world really changes, it's the best you can do if you want to get ahead.

Note: I received a digital copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers via NetGalley. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

This was an inciteful book on a unique view of leading. Having read many self-help/leading books I found that the messages were very inciteful however I lacked a grip to keep me wanting to read more.

I really like the Bible verses spread throughout the book, but some readers may not agree with the religious leadership approach in the book However Deborah does an amazing job writing.

Interesting title with many concepts covered. The author delves into the ideas clearly. This book would be a good read for women in leadership positions.

In this powerful book, Deborah Smith Pegues takes us by the hand and guides us on a life-changing journey to become a better version of ourselves. It gives us insight into how we can better use our unique qualities and abilities to become a better leader - many books give us the qualities that it takes to lead but this is the first book I have read that focuses on how women can see their unique qualities in a positive way and how they can be used to lead.Yes, this book is written to women in leadership in the workplace, but it also is very relevant to all women in many areas and stages of life. The examples and tips given are practical and thought-provoking and cause for self-reflection. She interweaves scripture throughout each chapter showing us how it applies to various situations and that the Bible is still very relevant to our time. Deborah delivers the truths within this book in a real but not harsh way.

This book is not one to be stored on a shelf but to be used regularly. I would definitely keep this book as a reference and gift it to women I know.

I received a complimentary copy of the 'Lead Like A Woman' galley from Harvest House for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a great business development read to encourage women to pursue or enhance their leadership roles. Many of the tips were relatable when she discussed communication and professionalism. The stories were understandable and helped me understand the section that was being described. I really like the Bible verses spread throughout the book, but some readers may not agree with the religious leadership approach in the book.

Thank you Harvest House Publishers and Netgalley!

I learned a lot about leadership after reading this book. I think it is a very practical, applicable to real life leadership book. I wrote down several tips to remember in the future. Good read!

Lead like a woman is a self-help book to encourage women to look at their natural gifts. Deborah tells us not to shy away from what makes us feminine in order to fit in male-dominated fields. She is uniquely qualified to write this book, as she has worked in the financial arena for years; both for corporations and large Christian ministries. Both these fields are typically male-dominated, but Deborah has found ways to thrive in this world. She shares her insights throughout the book, using advice and personal anecdotes to get her point across.

Favorite Quotes

When you hire a hand, it comes with a head and a heart attached. -Peter Drucker

Emotions motivate us. Sometimes wisely, sometimes unwisely. Even though emotions are our ever present companions, we must be careful to keep them out of the driver's seat.

One of the most critical elements of being communicative is authenticity It's important to just be yourself.

Another benefit of being communicative is that it minimizes misunderstandings. Clear and frequent communication keeps others in the loop on changes or new developments.

Don't stifle your authentic self. If you are a singer, don't try to imitate Whitney Houston. Find your voice and be uniquely you. You don't have to write like other authors or speak like other speakers. It is your uniqueness that will draw others to you, not your mimicking of those you feel are better than you. Remember, you are the only person who can excel at being you.

What I liked

I really appreciated the personal anecdotes the author used to make her point. This showed me that she has lived what she's teaching, and isn't just trying to sell books. She believes what she advises, and the facts she brings up back up her advice.

The author uses every day language. She doesn't try to sound more educated than she is. She writes in a way that makes it sound like she's having a conversation. She is a Christian, and makes no bones about her beliefs. At the same time, a non-Christian could read the book and learn a lot from it.

What I didn't like

I can't think of anything I can say for certain that I didn't like. This book was so good I want to hunt down her others and read them too. Any woman who is looking to move into a leadership position, or start her own company, or even just improve her day to day relationships at her job, should read this book. The book covers anything from resolving conflict to customer service.

The Rating

I gave this book 5 stars. This book is for anyone. Even if you aren't a Christian, this christian-based self-help book can teach you a lot!