Seven Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership by Kate Coleman
A book review by Ali Taylor
I’ve not had my copy of
Seven Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership by Kate Coleman very long, but it is already looking more than a little bit 'lived in'. The cover is ever so slightly peeling in the middle, some of the edges of the pages carry some well-thumbed marks and a few have turned corners, and don’t get me started on the many pencil scribbles and highlighted sections! Any good librarian worth their salt would probably be horrified, but then as the author suggests, this book is intended to be a leadership tool that the reader is encouraged to engage with through adding their own observations in the generous margins along with highlighting points and comments of note in the text.
The issues that Coleman seeks to address as being at the root of the challenges that face women leaders are set out in seven well-constructed chapters. Brief personal real-life insights from contributors are unpacked alongside insightful prose that culminate in what Coleman calls ‘coaching tips’ that conclude each chapter. As she works through each deadly sin Coleman addresses how self-perception and ingrained societal practice can limit our capacity to see our God-given abilities of leadership, noting that ‘God calls us because we are women and because we have something distinctive and valuable to contribute’. As this is the case, as God-ordained women holding leadership roles, thinking through how to create appropriate and well-set boundaries, developing a God-inspired vision and developing a healthy work-life rhythm are all valuable parts of a robust and healthy pattern of leadership. Coleman also explores how biblical leaders, not least Jesus himself, surrounded themselves with support networks that enabled them to fulfil their leadership calling as well as offering insight on good practice for dealing with situations of conflict and confrontation which are unfortunately an inevitable part of a leadership role.
In the introduction Coleman makes it clear that the book is best read in bite-sized chunks rather than a single setting, adding a wry, but insightful, comment that most women leaders wouldn’t have time to do this anyway! The structure of the book is intended to encourage deep personal reflection and I found taking a slow approach to engaging with the content particularly valuable. As I made my way through the book, dipping in and out of the often profound and startlingly astute prose, much required pause for further thought and contemplation. It is a book to which I will certainly return to gain further insight and direction, most likely adding yet more annotations to these already heavily marked pages as I continue on my leadership journey. If you too, would appreciate having the equivalent of a personal, and always available, mentor through Coleman’s words of salient wisdom then I suggest this is a book worth adding to your collection.
Seven Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership
Author: Kate Coleman
Publisher: Next Leadership (2010)
ISBN: 978 0956 55720 9