Arin N. Reeves - One Size Never Fits All: Business Development Strategies Tailored for Women (And Most Men)

Dr. Reeves has proven herself as a pioneer on advancing women in the workplace. She has shifted the conversation beyond recruiting and retaining women to focus on understanding how the one-model fits-all approach to business development should change to help drive gender equality in professional services firms. I see her book as a blueprint for women (and men) to better understand, define and create new business development strategies for themselves and their organizations. One Size Never Fits All is a must-read for women in advertising, an industry that is a traditionally a one size fits all, competitive model.

Debbi Vandeven,
Global Chief Creative Officer, VML

Warren Buffet has partly attributed his success to the fact that he was only competing with half the population. Its time for us to pull the other half of the population in so that we can all reach higher heights. Arin Reeves has provided a compelling tactical guide on how to do thisa guide for women in business to compete effectively. She has dug deep into the behaviors and business systems that hold women back in professional services businesses, and she offers a brand-new way of thinking about the problems faced by women in firms. She challenges the one size fits all prescriptions for successful rainmaking and offers research and case studies for alternative approaches that individuals and firms can employ to diversify their business development approaches. This book offers women and companies the first practical guide of its kind to bringing talent off the sidelines, and its lessons on team approaches to business development extend well beyond women and professional services.

Anita Antenucci,
Senior Managing Director, Houlihan Lokey

Can women be successful rainmakers? Reeves says yes, and clearly explains how through her research, the science of gender differences pertinent to business development, concrete strategiesand her basketball shoes. This is the book for firms that want to develop more business. This is the book for women who are frustrated and tired of wearing someone elses shoes as they try to develop business. And, this is the book for men who want to understand why the women who read this book and implement the strategies are climbing to the top of the compensation and leadership positions (i.e., money and power).

Catherine Lamboley,
General Counsel, Shell Oil Company (retired) and
Leader-in Residence, Center for Women in Law,
University of Texas Law School

One Size Never Fits All is the best business book Ive read all year. It goes straight to the heart of one of the most complex and seemingly intractable issues derailing women on their climb to the top. The stories and new research are compelling, making this a go-to resource for leaders and companies who want to win.

Terry A. Barclay, President and CEO, Inforum

Dr. Reeves artfully balances intuition, empirical data, and pragmatism to make a compelling case for the need of todays leaders to embrace a radically different mindset and approach to leading through inclusion and by seeking many different perspectives in search of all the right answers and solutions to a problem and not simply selecting one right answer to solve the problem. This is exactly the type of mindset needed within DuPont to maximize the growth opportunities that exist in the developing markets throughout the world.

Thomas L. Sager,
Senior Vice President and General Counsel,
DuPont Legal

Dr. Arin Reevess new book, One Size Never Fits All , may be the most important analytical and strategic consideration of one of the thorniest issues facing professional services firms in the 21st centuryhow to facilitate effective business development by all of its partners or principals, especially women. With this book, Dr. Reeves continues to cement her reputation as one of the most data-driven and avant-garde strategists of our times. She has transcended her long-held role as a premier researcher and consultant on traditional talent management issues, progressing first into the realm of visionary, inclusive leadership with her book The Next IQ, and now into business developmentthe backbone of financial success. Dr. Reevess focus is how professional services organizations can effectively create and support business development practices that may be outside of the box, but more suitable and effective for women (and some men). In tackling that challenge, organizations can augment their future growth, ensure their financial stability, and open the door for more robust leadership by female professionals. For women, this book is affirming and encouraging. For firm leadership, it provides a blueprint to address a significant challenge. As Dr. Reeves herself stresses, data as a tool for change is empowering. Through her well-grounded use of empirical data and her pragmatic strategy, Dr. Reeves empowers both women and men to go beyond historical vehicles for business development, and challenges them to look at new and more universally effective paradigms. This book is an absolute must read for both the leadership and partners/principals of professional services firms.

Sandy Chamblee,
Chief Diversity Partner, Steptoe & Johnson, LLP

Dr. Arin Reeves is someone whom I have long considered the leading mind addressing issues of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. ButDr. Reeves has transcended the legal profession to squarely establish herself among todays foremost executive management and international business thought leaders. And she does so with great stories and practical exercises to put the ideas into action.

Veta T. Richardson,
President & CEO, Association of
Corporate Counsel

In her new book, Dr. Reeves brings great clarity and depth to the challenges that exist for women in developing business for professional services firms. She has introduced a solid road map for navigating these obstacles for female (and male) professionals, and she introduces a new way of thinking for firm leadership. Firms that employ these new ideas can create cultures that attract the best talent and create platforms for different profiles to be successful in developing new business. Her book is a must read for any professional tasked with creating new revenue for his or her firm.

Lori Stanovich Tucker, Senior Manager, Business Development, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services

Generalities no longer suffice when it comes to diversity and inclusion initiatives in professional service firms. Firm leaders, firm members and diversity professionals need specific, concrete, focused research that can support game-changing initiatives. Arin Reevess new book provides just that on a topic of critical importance. Arin dissects firms failure to create inclusive conditions for womens business development and leadership with humor, common sense, and illuminating original research. Her affirmative contributions to changing the face and practices of modern professional service firms are truly valuable and much appreciated!

Sally Olson,
Chief Diversity Officer, Sidley Austin LLP

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
TAILORED FOR WOMEN (AND MOST MEN)