Swim with the Dolphins: How Women Can Succeed in Corporate America on Their Own Terms

Until recently, working in corporate America was like swimming in a pool of sharks. Command-and-control was the watchword of the day, and circling near the top of most hierarchies were cold-blooded sharks. You know the type. Tough. Arrogant. Ruthless. Maybe you even tried to mimic them - and if so, you weren't alone. Many women, in their efforts to climb the corporate ladder, attempted to emulate the sharks. But for most, it wasn't a comfortable fit. And no wonder. Women aren't like sharp-toothed predators. They're more like dolphins. Unlike sharks, who prefer working in rigid traditional hierarchies, dolphins thrive in teams organized around networks. Comfortable with power, they rarely abuse it, viewing themselves as leaders rather than bosses. And although they value the bottom line as much as any shark, they know that the bottom line grows fastest in a flexible workplace where people are satisfied and motivated to do their best. With their tough but caring ways, women have the very characteristics America's forward-thinking corporations are looking for in today's fiercely competitive and ever-changing business environment. Now, there's a navigational map to guide you through the new corporate waters. Swim with the Dolphins is loaded with specific strategies and hands-on advice that will help make you, as a woman, a better manager, both for yourself and for your company. Based on interviews with more than 200 successful female managers, it will show you how to attract, hire, and keep good employees; build and coach effective teams; share the workload; motivate and inspire your staff; manage conflict and difficult employees; set the stage for win-win negotiations; bounce back fromadversity; work smarter, not harder; get noticed and promoted; avoid the fear of failure, and prevent stress from managing you; overcome obstacles that female managers still encounter in corporate America...and much more. Whether you're a trainee or an executive, learn to swim