Likeable Badass - Alison Fragale

Women & Equality Book Reviews

Likeable Badass - Alison Fragale

What’s in it

Do you know the difference between power and status? Yes, you might have been given all the power to make ‘stuff’ happen in your organisation - the job title, the corner office, the pay check - but if your status doesn’t match your power you’re NOT going to be as successful.

THAT’s what Likeable Badass is all about.

Alison Fragale is an EXPERT on status. Her definition of ‘likeable badass’ is to operate from a position of friendly strength.

In other words, you’ve got be ASSERTIVE, as well as WARM.

More so, I’m afraid, ladies, when you’re a woman as your status in the workforce is - due to lots and lots of bias - always LOWER than your stereotypical white male. And the barriers you’ll encounter will therefore be higher.

Why I like it

Disclaimer: I don’t like the term ‘badass’. I wouldn’t call you one. I’m not one either.

But - despite its title - this book is absolutely worth a read.

The book is BRILLIANT at setting out this distinction between power and status. At talking about how others PERCEIVE you. And what you can do to change that perception.

It gives you LOTS of strategies on how to assert yourself (be more assertive) whilst at the same time coming across as warm and friendly.

Some you will have heard of (like the tips on speech style (using lots of disclaimers - ‘But!’ - and hedges - ‘I think’), some that most DEFINITELY will give you food for thought and LOTS of action to take.

Bottom line is that you're going to have to do things, simple things, things you can do easily, daily. Things that will help people remember you. Things that will make people think of you as helpful and brilliant at the same time.

BEFORE you need that higher status you need to start thinking about raising it.

Oh, and finally, before you go, one little takeaway I didn’t want you to miss out on:

Women are not penalised for the presence of assertiveness but for the absence of warmth.

So find ways of bragging AND thanking people, talking about YOU AND talking about how what you achieved benefited OTHERS.

Assertive AND warm. Warm AND assertive.

Yeah, great book.