The South can be a tough place to be a successful woman. In the short time I spent as a financial reporter in Atlanta, I rarely met C-level women. I can only imagine how patriarchal the landscape was 35 years ago when Becky Blalock, former CIO of Southern Company, got her first job.
Blalock climbed up the ranks at a time when “women were only supposed to be at the workplace to find a husband,” she says.
Without an Ivy League degree, her rigorous journey from the bottom to Chief Information Officer – a position still typically held by men – is documented in her pull-no-punches memoir "DARE: Straight Talk on Confidence, Courage and Career for Women in Charge."
DARE, released this month, takes over where Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s 'Lean In' falls short. Let’s face it; very few people have Harvard or Larry Summers listed on their resume. Blalock certainly didn't. The book provides practical advice on how women can ‘lean in’ even without the platform of a brand name college or network. It's a guide for those starting at the bottom rung of the ladder, but have their eyes set on the top.
Blalock’s colorful anecdotes are accompanied by advice from high-powered friends. She features other women who have busted through one ceiling or another; Cinnabon Inc. President Kat Cole, who started her career as a Hooters waitress, Anna Maria Chavez, Girl Scouts CEO who was told she should abandon her dreams of going to Yale because she was Latina and Cisco’s Rebecca Jacoby, another rare female CIO.
Here's Blalock's take on:
Why DARE is different from 'Lean In'
“Thank goodness for Sheryl Sandberg,” she says. 'Lean In' kicked off the discussion on why not enough women make it to senior roles. But there are many ways to get to the top. “People criticized ‘Lean In’ because they didn’t start at the position that Sheryl did,” she says. “It’s hard to come in to a corporation at the bottom and ‘lean in.'”
DARE has a roadmap for succeeding at various stages of your career. The practical advice on getting your work noticed without bragging and how to take lateral, not only vertical promotions, resonated with me. With 50 to 65 percent of mid-career and senior women stuck in pink ghettos – staff jobs that don’t directly lead to the top – Blalock's advice is very relevant.
“My message [in DARE] is definitely to ‘lean in’ but with tips on finding ways to get yourself noticed and creating opportunities at every step of the way,” she says. The book tackles issues like asking for feedback (and not being sensitive when it’s negative), storytelling to get what you want and learning from failure. Blalock is candid about setbacks in her own career – from making a major mistake in an important project to being told she was a poor listener. It's easier to heed advice from someone who comes off as human.
Why Women's Success Is An Economic Agenda
“Women aren’t talking about equality because they have a chip on their shoulder,” Blalock says. “It’s an economic issue. For America to stay a global superpower, we cannot afford to alienate talented women.”
DARE was written not only for women, but for “companies of the future where the zero-sum game against women will not work." Top talent is so scarce that organizations must work hard to support smart women. Blalock points to the example of her Singaporean college roommate: “His wife would get paid by the Singapore government to work even after having kids. Successful countries and companies recognize they can’t afford to lose talent.”
Her Top Three Tips To Succeed
1.) The C-Suite is not for all women and men. “Put down on paper what you want. Then cultivate the skills to make it happen.” Senior-level jobs aren’t for everyone, but Blalock says to focus on what success means to you. “Define success for you – it will be different for everyone. After having my daughter I couldn’t not go back to work. I had worked so hard to put myself through my undergrad, I knew I would never be happy.” With trade-offs and setting manageable expectations, Blalock says modern women have the power to find happiness. But ‘having it all’ is an illusion, according to her.
2.) You can't succeed without risk. “We all live in comfort zones where we feel safe. Pushing out of that lets you get to the next level.” Blalock took a two-level demotion at one point in her career, but that eventually paved the way to her becoming CIO. “Women get promoted on the basis of past accomplishments, men on potential. You have to map your career carefully," she says.
3.) There's no way to the top without giving back. “Many times I mentor someone only to find they don’t mentor anyone back,” she says. “Too many times we underestimate our power to mentor others.” Being a mentor is as important to getting ahead as having a mentor, she says.
Daring Even Once You’re At The Top
“When you get to a senior level, you forget the lessons that got you there,” says Blalock. Her book dedicates a section to constantly innovating and learning: "What got you here, won't get you there."
Blalock practices what she preaches. She wrote DARE to...well, dare. She calls every moment of the publishing process “scary” – from writing to being a touring author. The experience specifically got her to learn to use social media. “I dared by stepping way out of my comfort zone to write this book."
