Taking the Stage
“The ability to speak in front of a group is a very important tool. Taking the Stage teaches you that your opinions are as valuable as anyone else's. I have certainly seen members of my team more willing to speak up after participating in the ‘Taking the Stage’ program.”
“The ‘Taking the Stage’ program has profoundly impacted IBM women at all levels, encouraging them to speak up, communicate for impact, and become essential to their clients.”
“It is with excitement that I endorse Judith Humphrey's book. She is an excellent communicator and I wish her every success in delivering her powerful and helpful messages to a wide audience. Taking the Stage will touch thousands of women around the world in the most positive ways.”
“Over the past 10 years, our firm has been reporting on the unacceptably low numbers of women in senior executive positions. Those figures will change dramatically – for the better! – when women read Judith Humphrey's compelling new book, Taking the Stage. I will certainly be recommending it to all my female clients, and to those who have women on their teams.”
“I love Taking the Stage. It spoke to me profoundly as I read it while on the subway in Seoul. It showed that we can embrace both the yin and yang, the female and male aspects of our natures. I truly believe that when we are able to harness both, we become better, stronger leaders. Judith Humphrey's brilliant book will show readers how to do just that.”
Taking the Stage
How Women Can Speak Up, Stand Out, and Succeed
Judith Humphrey
Cover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2014 by Judith Humphrey. All rights reserved.
Published by Jossey-Bass
A Wiley Brand
One Montgomery Street, Suite 1200, San Francisco, CA 94104–4594 —www.josseybass.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978–750–8400, fax 978–646–8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201–748–6011, fax 201–748–6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read.
Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800–956–7739, outside the U.S. at 317–572–3986, or fax 317–572–4002.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Taking the Stage® is a registered trademark of The Humphrey Group Inc., used by John Wiley & Sons under license for this publication.
The Leader's Script®, Speaking as a Leader®, Leadership Conversations®, Leadership Presence™, and Succeeding on Stage™ are trademarks of The Humphrey Group Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Humphrey, Judith, 1943-
Taking the stage: how women can speak up, stand out, and succeed/Judith Humphrey.
1 online resource.
Includes index.
Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.
ISBN 978-1-118-95840-7 (pdf) – ISBN 978-1-118-95839-1 (epub) – ISBN 978-1-118-87025-9 (hardback)
1. Women executives. 2. Leadership in women. 3. Communication in management. 4. Public speaking for women. 5. Oral communication. 6. Career development. I. Title.
HD6054.3
658.4'09082 – dc23
2014023068
Dedication
For Marc, my wonderful husband, who has always believed in me. For Bart and Ben, who have shown that a woman can have bright, happy, and cherished children and a successful career.
Preface
This book grows out of my conviction that confident self-expression is the foundation of success in business and life. I have seen the lives of thousands of women transformed when they learned to “take the stage.” Graduates of our firm's Taking the Stage® program have found – as readers of this book will discover – how to speak up, stand out, and succeed in ways that increase their visibility, earn them respect, and accelerate their advancement. Many inspiring stories of those who have achieved these goals fill the pages of this book. I'm pleased to share with readers the insights from our program, from my twenty-five years as head of a communications company, and from my own life.
How do you know if this book is for you? If you would like a stronger voice in discussions; if you wish to express yourself with more clarity and impact; if you want others not to interrupt you because they don't “hear” you; if you'd like to be assertive but not aggressive, promote yourself, be visible, speak with presence, and move your career forward by showing yourself as a confident, capable leader – if you say “yes” to any of these, then this book is for you. Taking the Stage is a metaphor for all the ways you can be your own best champion by finding compelling ways to express yourself. Whatever your rank, position, or industry, this book is for all women who want to claim their right to confident self-expression and respect from others in the boardroom – and beyond. The rewards are enormous. So, take the stage!
This is a book for women, but it is also for those who support women's success. It is for leaders of women who want to build stronger, more diverse teams, or who have wives, female partners, or daughters they would like to see succeed. Men have told me, “I want a copy of this book