The Confidence Myth: Why Women Undervalue Their Skills, and How to Get Over It

We need more women at the highest levels in business, government, and nonprofits - and there is no time to waste. The problem, says Helene Lerner, isn't so much that women lack confidence but that they misunderstand what confidence really is.True confidence isn't fearlessness; it's having the courage to move forward while your knees are shaking. Any woman waiting until she has enough confidence with a capital C to act never will. Lerner lays out practical strategies for beating this confidence myth, drawing on her own and other female leaders' experiences and on her survey of over 500 working women. You'll learn how to present your best self no matter how you feel inside, welcome even brutal feedback as a tool to hone your skills, avoid spreading yourself too thin by saying "no" strategically, and much more. The book features dozens of Confidence Sparks, simple but powerful exercises and techniques to catapult your career to the next level. The playing field is not level and gender inequities persist, but the women interviewed in this book have found ways to navigate through it, and you can, too. The key to success is seizing the opportunity and acting now. Helene Lerner is here to act as your personal coach as you silence the "mad mind chatter" and take risks, speak out, and step up.