Sameer Gudhate presents the Book Review of How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen & Marshall Goldsmith

Imagine you’re in a room full of professionals, your work consistently exceeds expectations, and yet promotions pass you by like unspoken words. This reality—familiar to many women—is exactly what How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job explores. Co-authored by renowned leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith, known for his bestseller What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, and women’s leadership expert Sally Helgesen, this book is a tailored roadmap for women striving to advance in careers shaped by systems not originally designed for them. It builds on Goldsmith’s foundational principles while delving into the subtle, often invisible challenges women uniquely face.

How Women Rise identifies 12 habits that commonly impede women from achieving leadership roles or progressing further in their careers. These habits—like the reluctance to claim credit, the tendency to overvalue expertise, or the need to please—aren’t inherently negative. In fact, many were strengths in early career stages. But in the higher echelons of professional growth, these same traits can become barriers. The book doesn’t stop at identification—it offers insight, anecdotes, and actionable advice to help women recognize these patterns and shift them strategically. The authors don't ask women to abandon who they are, but rather to recalibrate their approach to align with their goals.

The writing style is engaging, practical, and conversational. Helgesen and Goldsmith strike a balance between coaching and storytelling, making complex behavioural insights digestible. The tone is encouraging without being preachy—more mentor than manual. It’s peppered with real-world examples, making the advice relatable and grounded. Though the content is academic in parts, the prose remains accessible and resonant for a general professional audience.

While not a narrative-driven book, the “characters” here are real women whose stories mirror many readers’ own experiences. Their struggles and successes become vessels for broader ideas. The concept of “habits” is both thematic and structural, each chapter dissecting one in depth. These ideas are powerful precisely because they reveal the unseen forces—social conditioning, gender norms, workplace biases—that influence women’s behavior. The authors present these with empathy and understanding, never blaming the individual but instead empowering her to act differently.

Structured into 12 chapters—each dedicated to a particular habit—the book follows a methodical yet fluid format. This organization allows readers to either read sequentially or jump to the habit most relevant to them. There’s a natural progression: recognition, reflection, and realignment. The pacing is steady, making it easy to digest over time or binge-read in a weekend of career soul-searching.

Central themes include self-awareness, agency, and adaptation. The book challenges women to reevaluate what success looks like—not just in the eyes of others, but in their own. One poignant message: traits like collaboration, humility, and loyalty—often celebrated—may need to be rebalanced with self-advocacy and strategic visibility. The book also critiques the gendered lens of corporate assessment, subtly inviting a larger cultural shift.

Reading How Women Rise can feel like a mix of therapy and tough love. There’s comfort in seeing your own struggles validated, and discomfort in confronting self-sabotaging patterns. It evokes determination and reflection, motivating readers to act not just for personal gain, but for systemic change.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its specificity. By naming 12 clear habits, it demystifies the "glass ceiling" into concrete, addressable behaviours. The authors’ ability to weave in personal stories and cultural insight adds texture and resonance. Particularly notable is their refusal to demonize typically “feminine” traits—they instead advocate for situational awareness and strategic adjustment.

A key critique is that the book, at times, leans toward encouraging women to conform to systems shaped by male-centric values. While the authors do acknowledge this dilemma, the focus remains on individual behavior change, not structural reform. Some readers may wish for more emphasis on how workplaces themselves can evolve to value diverse leadership styles. That said, the book does not ignore this tension—it simply chooses a pragmatic path, one that helps women “play the game” with the long-term hope of changing it from within.

How Women Rise is more than a self-help book—it’s a mirror, a guide, and a call to action. Whether you’re feeling stuck in your career or simply seeking greater clarity and confidence, this book offers a toolkit for transformation. Read it not just to rise, but to rise differently—and maybe, to help others rise too.

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