One of my girlfriends from Dell, Michelle, recommended this book to me as I have become an avid listener of personal development books. Michelle did say the target audience of this book is women who are vying for the C-level officers positions, which I am not.
I appreciated the specific, tangible advice Becky Blalock provides in this book. Yes, the book is designed for business women but there is advice throughout the book that can be applicable to anyone who wants to do better, not only professionally but personally as well.
In Chapter 4 of the book, Blalock talks about "Dare to project a confident attitude and embrace the behaviors and mindsets of powerful leaderships". She breaks confidence down to three pillars: attitude, knowledge, and experience.
One of the pieces of advice that resonated with me was to be as "through and data driven as possible. Backing up your arguments with data, protects you from personal attacks. If you can prove that you are right, you win people's respect. Even if its grudgingly." This bit of advice was powerful for me as my older daughter has taken to having passionate philosophical discussions, which I enjoy. I have encouraged her to do research so her arguments will be fact-based instead of emotionally charged.
Blalock provides numerous tips to develop a positive attitude. I will share a few. Surrounding yourself with positive people is a must. Start the day with a positive gratitude. Smile and laugh. Do something nice for someone. Do appreciate the importance of a healthy diet and exercise. Clean out and organize your work space. If you are feeling down, list the positive things that have happened to you to review. Monitor your self talk (check out the Ted Talk Video on her website and she address self talk).
Blalock's list "13 Easy Ways to Teach Yourself to Be More Confident" from Time.com as a wealth of information.
Of course being a huge exercise and nutrition advocate, number 10 on her list sparked my interest. "There’s ample evidence by now that getting enough sleep, exercise, and good nutrition profoundly affects both your mood and your effectiveness. “Just moderate exercise three times a week for 20 minutes does so much for the hippocampus and is more effective than anything else for warding off Alzheimer’s and depression,” Blalock says. “Yet it always falls of the list when we’re prioritizing. While there are many things we can delegate, exercise isn’t one of them. If there were a way to do that, I would have figured it out by now.” Blalock's last statement always makes me think of Oprah. She is one the wealthiest people in the world and yet, still struggles with her weight. If there was a magic weight loss pill, you know Oprah would be using it and endorsing it. There's not. There is only hard work and effort.
Below is the link to "Dare" from Amazon. I do recommend this book, not only for women in the corporate world wanting to advance their career, but for anyone who seeks specific, actionable advice to improve their personal and professional lives.
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