A solid guide on working toward goals tailored for women’s experiences. Note that the author frequently references her time as a Catholic nun, in case this is a factor for or against this book for you. Her framework is useful, in any case, with helpful summaries and action items at the end of each chapter with self-exploration and goal planning exercises to try.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Short, and full of helpful advice that could be applied to either gender; the anecdotes reflect her time working with women and her observations on how to attain success as a woman. I appreciated the three divisions of the work to help get a better sense of what should work where when applying the principles discussed.
The conversational tone of the writing makes the subject matter easily approachable and easy to understand.

I can see this as a beneficial text for anyone wanting to find ways to reach success through personal understanding, interpersonal relationships, and developing financial and networking acumen.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.
*checked out a hard copy at the library due to the lateness of reading in relation to publication date.

I don't really relate to the issues outlined in this book, but I wanted to read something outside my comfort zone. I think it was well written and someone who is in this position may benefit from reading a book like this,

To be an effective leader, one must be able to demonstrate confidence in their authority. This is particularly important for women, who already face many obstacles when taking on such roles. Lead, by Dr. Ellen Snee, takes a refreshing approach to this topic by focusing on the experiences of women working in leadership positions rather than by making gender comparisons.

She chose to write Lead in a conversational tone, in an effort to mimic the feel of her coaching sessions and to share the benefit of her own experiences as well as those of her clients. The book follows "Self-Others-Systems," the relational model Dr. Snee developed based on women’s psychological development. Readers will learn about these relationships and how they constantly intersect while one is acting in a leadership role. Each chapter concludes with coaching-style homework, helping the reader to solidify her learning and progress through contemplation and commitment.

Dr. Snee has an EdD in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard, and she is an executive coach whose focus is helping women to advance their careers. In her earlier days, she was a nun with Religious of the Sacred Heart, an order of highly educated female leaders. This gave her the unique opportunity to live and work among women who were able to effectively exercise their authority within a male hierarchy, while understanding leaders’ abilities very much depend on relations.

This book, unlike others I have read, actually gives advice on how to achieve your goals. Not only that but she can back it up. She uses personal experiences, stories of clients she’s had, and information form books she’s read. It’s helpful and I definitely recommend.

Ellen is an accessible and personable author, with good views on women in leadership and what we can do to promote ourselves and our goals in business settings. I enjoyed the stories she includes in the text, and while my business doesn't match the ones profiled in the book, I still walked away with information I can use for the future. A worthy addition to the business section in any library.

The advice is solid and sound and provides a very thought-provoking perspective on leadership, especially as a woman. Much of the advice is not very gender-specific and can be followed by both men and women alike! Definitely useful for people as they follow their careers and have to come into the people and systems around them to move forward. Thanks for a copy of this ARC, Netgalley! Great read.

This book was extremely insightful and helpful. I am in upper management and found the author's personal and unique perspective practical and much needed. I appreciate Netgalley and She Writes Press for an ARC of this book. Definitely going to recommend to my co-workers.

For women in leadership, this book provides an excellent and thought provoking perspective. I enjoyed it, and found it beneficial, as a woman in leadership, but I also think it can be useful to others as they navigate their career, and interact with the people and systems around them. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is fairly short, with eight main chapters, and about 150 pages in the digital version.

In the Introduction, Snee describes her background and her motivation for writing the book. She explains how her unique combination of personal, academic, and professional experience has provided her with valuable knowledge about women in leadership positions. From working as a nun, to studying psychology at Harvard, to starting her own consulting firm, to working in Silicon Valley; she has both studied and seen firsthand how women excel in leadership roles.

The first few chapters focus on your “Relationship to Self”. There are chapters discussing how to find your inner truth, increasing resilience by reducing negative self-talk and focusing on the positive, and being aware of your interactions with other women when you are in a position of authority.

The next few chapters deal with “Relationship to Others”. Here there are chapters focusing on paying attention to your “executive presence” by choosing your words carefully; and investing energy and time into relationships with other people at all levels of your company and business contacts.

The last few chapters discuss “Relationships with Systems”. Snee addresses how to have conversations about your career path in order to increase your chances of advancing, she stresses the importance of financial acumen, and explains the benefits of networking and making new contacts.

Snee uses many examples from her personal and professional life throughout the book, and they often help to illustrate her points. She has worked with many clients over the years, and some of their experiences that she describes will likely be familiar to some readers. Each chapter also has a summary of the ideas at the end of the chapter, with specific actions to take presented in bullet list form.

Overall, I think that the book has many valid points and solid advice. Actually, many of the suggestions in the book aren't even really gender-specific, and I think that most men could benefit from reading this too. I liked the summary and action lists at the end of the chapters, and even quickly skimming through those points could teach you a few things if you're short on time.

Lead
by Ellen M. Snee
Pub. Date Sept. 21, 2021
She Writes Press
Thanks to She Writes Press, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC. This book provides a lot of tips for women in leadership or those wishing to be in leadership roles.
My favorite quote: “The most important elements of successful growth are the desire to learn and the willingness to change, not the goals that are set”

This book addressed the unique challenges that women face. I will recommend this to Women who are taking a more active role in the shaping of their own lives.

Women who want to develop the confidence to ask for a promotion or a job.

Although executive women are the primary target readers, the content presented can be helpful to any woman.
5 star

I was flipping through leadership books and becoming frustrated by the male-centric nature of the majority of the books I found. Where were women represented in this genre of literature? When I opened Ellen M. Snee's 'Lead', I knew early on that this book was going to give me insight into leadership styles I could relate to, and could incorporate into my personal and professional life. At the end of each chapter she summarizes the main takeaways, and offers 4 sections of next steps to build habits to support your growth as a leader. I read this book start to finish in one day, then re-read it to more fully absorb the content, and cannot wait to get the hard copy in hand so I can share it with other on my team. 10/10 would highly recommend.

This book provides lots of great tips and advice for women in positions of leadership or for those seeking to attain a leadership role. I appreciate that it addresses the unique challenges women face, which are quite different from men, both in how they see themselves and how others see them. The author covers key areas such as communication, negotiation, managing others, career paths, etc. In my experience, I have seen how women tend to undervalue themselves and also how they overcompensate by becoming aggressive and bitchy. It's a fine line to walk and this book helps women to navigate it.

This is a different type of leadership book: one that covers a huge range of topics relevant to women in leadership positions. Lead touched on a lot of things I felt as a female leader: the need to develop resilience and gravitas, and working as part of the larger organizational system. It's a good read for women who want to take the next step in their careers, and while the case studies are mainly of senior executives and women towards the the top end of management, the suggestions are relevant for those starting out in the corporate world too. The book is well-put together and the author's personal background provides an interesting lens through which to view leadership theory and practice. I enjoyed the book, and felt it was an up-to-date take on the topic, which has been covered in the past by books like Beyond the Boys' Club.

This is one of the most powerful books on women leadership. It does cover multiple aspects of management and leadership also provides the important tips on "how to" that are often missed. I have truly enjoyed the contents and the structure if the book that creates a logical path towards leadership competencies development.

Snees’ new ground-breaking work explores the habits and thoughts of many executive women who struggle to claim their leadership. Drawing from her experiences as a nun and a leadership coach, she guides us through several exercises at the end of each chapter and gives us a clear layout of her findings.

There’s enough storytelling to support her research without resorting to self-glorification. Instead, you get something akin to a conversation with a trusted mentor or coach. She’s acutely aware of the insecurities high-performing women face and picks up where a lot of leadership books for women left a lot to be desired.

Who would I recommend the book to:

Women taking a more active role in the shaping of their own lives.

Women who want to develop the confidence to ask for a promotion or a job.

Although executive women are the primary target readers, the content presented can be helpful to any woman.

Favorite quote:

“The most important elements of successful growth are the desire to learn and the willingness to change, not the goals that are set”

Every woman should read this book. If you work in corporate America, you will relate to and understand the examples she is using. While you may not act and fall into every category, habit, or issue you will find value in reading this. I also think men who want to be allies and support women in the workplace should read this so they understand issues and microaggressions they may be committing.

Snee's "text" is full of references and practices for women in business, and the knowledge she presents comes from her lifetime of experience in a wide variety of career choices. The work is deceptively simple, which is a bonus, as it is invites the reader to engage in Snee's experience. There is much to learn here in reading and re-reading what she writes. The reader must come away with a "Wow, she's good!" feeling.

The market is packed with books to help people forge ahead with their career goals. But this one is different. It's for women. The news is packed with stories everyday on how men get ahead, men get paid more and men get the CEO positions almost every time. While it's changing for women, it's at a slow pace.

Ellen M. Snee has an impressive career with a doctorate from Harvard in women's psychological development. She emphasizes that she is committed to educating women to help them advance quickly with the right plan. The book is easy to read and provides pages of helpful hints by developing relationships, networking, understanding finances, studying languages and being aware of executive presence. This book is a must read especially for those that are just starting out.

The author says it may come as a surprise that she was once a nun. Naturally she starts with a quote: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." She says changes can be easily made after examining such things as habits and behaviors, feelings and attitudes and interactions and relationships with others. After every chapter, there is a summary and list of helpful strategies to "do the work."

Women have always been known to downplay their roles in life. This book provides help in many situations even though there are jobs that come with obstacles off the charts. It's very structured with highlights but also is mixed with personal and client stories. Especially with the high-level competition these days, women need all the help they can get to rise to the top and this book is essential.

My thanks to Ellen M. Snee, She Writes Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this copy in advance with an expected release date of September 21, 2021.