Bitch? Please!: How Nice Girls Can Succeed in a Competitive World - Empowering Women in Business & Leadership

Imagine you work in a profession that has in recent decades become dominated by women. Imagine your success is measured, by some, strictly in terms of wins and losses. When success is measured by the ends, not the means, this profession can seem to be a bitch's world. Welcome to the world of the modern legal profession. While I'm surrounded by wonderful nice girls, I encounter my fair share of big B's. We all know who they are, or we find out ever so quickly! I'd say I encounter both on a daily basis. But as a strong, confident nice girl, it's easy to be mistaken for a bitch. Case in point (no pun intended): following a jury trial a juror waited to speak with me following the verdict. She was a soft spoken librarian in her mid-sixties. She told me I needed to be "careful" because I came across as "too strong." I laughed and said, "Oh, do you mean the bitch factor?" That is exactly what she meant. This is a fine line for nice girls to walk. Behavior that is acceptable for a man, for example a strong trial performance, is natural... but for a confident woman cross examining a witness, some jurors may be thinking one thing: you bitch!Unfortunately the public and the bitches themselves seem to think that only they possess confidence, skill, drive, ability, etc. This is untrue and, as Megan points out, a myth that is perpetuated by the media. Watch TV, read a popular magazine, read all of the examples she discusses in her book. To counter this mean myth, Megan leads the battle call for nice girls to rise up and set the record straight.This book is rich food for thought. The most important points I take from it are these: a bitch can ruin your day, your week, or your life, but only if you allow it. You, nice girl, have the power to take charge. This book is about learning to recognize a bitch, learning to deal with her, and learning to live with her on a daily basis. And maybe, just maybe, being able to laugh at her attempts to bring you down, nicely, of course.One thing I just can't help adding is that it seems to me that women no longer have a monopoly on Big B tactics. I hate to use the word, but men are becoming increasingly skilled in wielding the bitch's tools. Perhaps, at least in the legal field, these men have seen the success of women, thrown up their hands and said, "If I can't beat the bitch, why not join her?"Can't wait to discuss this book with my female colleagues!