Lois P. Frankel Books
Lois P. Frankel, Ph.
Known for: Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
Books by Lois P. Frankel
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
Lois P. Frankel’s Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office is a practical, eye-opening guide to the subtle behaviors that can quietly derail women’s careers. Rather than blaming women for workplace inequality, Frankel identifies the social conditioning that teaches many girls to be polite, deferential, accommodating, and conflict-averse—traits that may be praised in childhood but often undermine authority, visibility, and advancement in professional life. The book is built around specific, recognizable habits: minimizing accomplishments, seeking excessive approval, avoiding self-promotion, overhelping, and communicating without confidence. Frankel explains how these behaviors are often unconscious, making them especially powerful and hard to change. What makes the book enduringly relevant is its blend of sharp observation and immediate practicality. Readers can quickly identify their own patterns and begin replacing them with more strategic, career-supporting behaviors. As an executive coach and workplace consultant, Frankel brings credibility from years of helping professionals navigate leadership, communication, and organizational politics. The result is a direct and highly usable book for women who want to stop playing small, gain influence, and advance with intention.
Read SummaryKey Insights from Lois P. Frankel
Childhood Lessons Can Limit Adult Power
Many career problems begin long before a first job interview. Frankel’s central insight is that women are often raised to be “nice” in ways that conflict with workplace expectations for leadership. Girls may be rewarded for being agreeable, modest, helpful, and nonthreatening, while boys are more of...
From Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
Competence Without Visibility Rarely Wins Promotions
One of the most damaging myths in professional life is that excellent work naturally speaks for itself. Frankel challenges this belief directly. In most organizations, promotions and opportunities go not only to people who perform well, but also to those whose contributions are seen, understood, and...
From Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
Language Shapes How Others Perceive Authority
People often judge confidence before they judge competence. Frankel shows how small language habits can unintentionally signal uncertainty, deference, or lack of executive presence. Many women soften their communication with qualifiers, apologies, and permission-seeking phrases such as “I’m sorry, b...
From Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
Overhelping Can Trap You in Support Roles
Being dependable is valuable, but being endlessly available can become a career trap. Frankel highlights how many women are socialized to help, nurture, organize, and smooth things over. In the workplace, this can lead them to take on low-visibility, high-effort tasks that keep teams functioning but...
From Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
Seeking Approval Weakens Strategic Decision-Making
The desire to be liked can quietly override the need to be respected. Frankel identifies approval-seeking as one of the most common career-limiting behaviors among women. When someone needs reassurance before acting, avoids disagreement, or shapes every decision around others’ comfort, she gives awa...
From Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
Boundaries Are Essential to Professional Respect
A career can be derailed as much by what you tolerate as by what you do. Frankel emphasizes that women often undermine themselves by failing to set and maintain boundaries. They allow interruptions, accept unrealistic deadlines without pushback, answer every request immediately, and let others treat...
From Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
About Lois P. Frankel
Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized executive coach, author, and speaker specializing in women's leadership and career development. She has worked with major corporations and organizations worldwide, helping women advance professionally and achieve their full potential.
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Lois P. Frankel, Ph.
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