Bonnie Hagemann - The Courage To Advance: Real Life Resilience from the Worlds Most Successful Women in Business

First published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing in 2021

An imprint of John Murray Press

A division of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd,

An Hachette UK company

Copyright Bonnie Hagemann, Lisa Pent and WomenExecs on Boards 2021

The right of Bonnie Hagemann, Lisa Pent and WomenExecs on Boards to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by Choose an item in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Cover design by www.ironicitalics.com

The acknowledgments constitute an extension of this copyright page.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

eBook ISBN 9781529369021 UK / 9781529376074 US

Trade Paperback ISBN 9781529368994

John Murray Press

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y 0DZ

Nicholas Brealey Publishing

Hachette Book Group

Market Place, Center 53, State Street

Boston, MA 02109, USA

www.nbuspublishing.com

One cannot help but be inspired by the courage, humility, and tenacity of the special women profiled in these stories.

Christian Brickman, CEO of Sally Beauty Holdings

Womens empowerment is the single biggest opportunity of the 21st century. Read this book and be inspired by the courageous stories of those who are re-writing the rules of leadership.

Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever PLC; cofounder & chair of IMAGINE

Its often through hearing the stories of others that we come to the best moments of clarity in our own. Women leaders are courageous, resilient, fully capable of making sense and success of the world around them. We adapt, and we also lead change. All, with grace, humility, and vulnerability. In this book are thirty-six stories of proof.

Coco Brown, founder & CEO of Athena Alliance, Inc.

The Courage to Advance will inspire you to never give up and to achieve more than you could have ever imagined!

Dimitri Panayotopoulos, board director & former vice chairman of The Procter & Gamble Company

If you are ready for your head to be full of ideas, your heart running over, and your insides raring to go, The Courage to Advance is for you!

Nanette Harrell, Independent Fractional Chief Information Officer & former Transportation Executive, Faneuil, Inc.

Remarkably elegant advice on how women have overcome societies innate obstacles to achieving their full potential in leadership without selling out on family and work-life balance. This book really helps our world on a path to gender neutral leadership. The stories told will give you courage, inspiration and the confidence to help you navigate the rocks, stones and jerks in the road.

Chris Perry, President, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

There is no single background, style, or path to become a successful leader. As seen in The Courage to Advance, one often has to overcome challenging systemic and interpersonal obstacles. Through hard work, clarity of purpose, and perseverance we see examples of women who are making significant, positive impacts on people and organizations. An inspiring read with useful words of wisdom for any leader.

Ken Pasternak, executive educator; keynote speaker; author

This book offers a compendium of advice from truly accomplished women leaders who shine a light on the executive path to success that often is hidden from sight. Part memoir, part guide to business, and part life advice, [The Courage to Advance] should stick to any serious reader who is looking for a path to succeed on their terms.

Dr. Anita Gupta, distinguished physician; author; FDA adviser

This book serves as a wonderful reminder that courage takes many forms. If ever there was an assembly of gutsy, talented leaders with inspiring stories, this is it!

Jordan Rich, WBZ Radio Boston; podcast host; author

A great collection of strong, powerful, and easy-to-read stories from women leading business to the place it belongs. Value and beliefs are the main stimulants of quality leadership, and this book demonstrates in a humble way through real-life examples how these two factors can help to not only achieve business goals but also contribute to a better world.

Ali Ahmadian, CEO of Heliospectra

The courage demonstrated in the stories of these exceptional women serve as a reminder to us all to aim for the stars, even in the face of adversity.

Dr. JJ Walcutt, scientist; author; CEO of Clay Strategic Designs; former Director of Innovation at the US Dept. of Defense; former US Democratic presidential candidate

The wisdom from experiences that led these women to step fully into the light of their success is a gift to the reader and a road map for stepping into ones own power and potential.

Rebekah E. Dopp, founder & chair of Exponent

The book presents a moving account of the courage and resilience of these strong women leaders from all walks of life. These poignant portraits will stay with you long after youve finished reading.

Charlotte Dennery, CEO of BNP Paribas Personal Finance

Stories like these, brilliantly curated by Hagemann and Pent, will be pivotal in galvanizing the next generation of leaders. A must-read for every aspiring young woman.

Carmen Ene, CEO of 3stepIT & BNP Paribas 3 Step IT

This book will call you out, lift you up, and help you thrive in your purpose. A great how-to on leadership for those looking to take things to the next level.

Sherrese Smith, partner at Paul Hastings; board member of Cable One, Norton LifeLock, Americas Public Television Stations

Courage to Advance brings the power of story front and center to educate and inspire the next generation of leaders

Shellye Archambeau, author ofUnapologetically Ambitious; board member of Verizon, Nordstrom, and Roper Technologies

Hagemann and Pent artfully weave together a narrative of empowerment and resilience in share-your-story format. In the spirit of being judged by the company you keep, those who read this work are keeping very good company.

Cathy Benko, Nike board member; former vice chairman of Deloitte LLP

Some may pass over Courage to Advance simply because its title doesnt seem to resonate with them personally; they do so at their own peril! Whats evident from the start is that these are REAL stories that have the power to immediately draw one in and then inspire and then teach! THAT is a combination to lean in to for growth!

Julie Laulis, chair of the board & CEO of Cable ONE

This is a much-needed, inspirational, multicultural road map of how thirty-six extraordinary women leaders got to where they are. We need more examples to show to our young girls and emerging leaders of the grit, resilience, and pure creativity women needed when they came up against the expected norms set by their societies. Simply inspirational.