Likeable Badass

July 15, 2024
Women can get ahead in the workplace by “getting others to see you as both Assertive and Warm,” according to this intermittently useful debut. Fragale, a professor at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill’s business school, recommends that readers make plenty of eye contact, use humor when appropriate, and sit at the head of the table during meetings. Detailing what not to do, she contends that humblebragging (“I hate watching myself on TV”) usually comes across as insincere and that issuing unnecessary apologies undercuts assertiveness. Readers should instead be forthright about their successes and, if they feel compelled to apologize, do so in the form of “expressions of regret for undesirable circumstances” (“Sorry about the weather”). Noting that women are less likely than men to have professional mentors, Fragale encourages readers to share their wisdom with others, suggesting that doing so helps mentors better understand and hone their own skill set. This stands out for the emphasis Fragale places on assisting others, but she has an unfortunate tendency to assert that her guidance is based on research without explaining how that research was conducted or by whom, making it difficult to evaluate how well the literature supports her claims. Still, there are enough sensible suggestions on offer to warrant checking this out. Agent: Margo Beth Fleming, Brockman, Inc.