Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Was there a specific mistake or piece of advice in Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office that deeply resonated with you? How did it relate to your personal or professional experiences?

2. Have you ever felt that societal conditioning has influenced your behavior in the workplace, as Frankel describes? If so, how have you navigated or challenged these expectations?

3. Reflecting on your career, can you identify any self-defeating behaviors you’ve engaged in, as outlined in the book? Have you already worked to overcome them, or do you feel motivated to change them now?

4. Frankel discusses how women often struggle with self-promotion and visibility at work. Have you ever hesitated to take credit for your accomplishments? How do you think this has impacted your career?

5. The book suggests that adapting to workplace norms is essential for success. Do you agree with this approach, or do you believe workplace culture should evolve to accommodate diverse leadership styles?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office challenges traditional gender norms in professional settings. How do you think societal expectations about women’s behavior in the workplace have evolved since the book’s publication? Do you believe these changes have been significant, or do many of the same challenges persist?

2. Frankel’s advice often focuses on how women can adapt to male-dominated corporate cultures rather than advocating systemic change. How does this reflect broader societal debates about workplace equity, and do you think this approach empowers or limits women in the long run?

3. How does Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office contribute to the broader conversation on gender and professional advancement? Considering works like Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, how does Frankel’s perspective reflect or challenge societal expectations of women in leadership? Which approach do you think better addresses the cultural and systemic barriers women face in the workplace?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office is structured around a series of “mistakes” rather than a traditional narrative format. How does this organizational choice impact the book’s effectiveness? Do you find this structure engaging and practical, or would a different approach have been more effective?

2. Frankel frequently uses anecdotes and case studies to illustrate her points. How do these real-life examples enhance or limit the persuasiveness of her arguments? Do you think they make the book more relatable, or do they introduce potential biases?

3. The book explores recurring themes such as self-sabotage, workplace politics, and gender expectations. Which theme stood out to you the most, and how does Frankel develop it throughout the book?

4. Frankel discusses the idea of the “Nice Girl Syndrome” as a barrier to professional success. How does this concept function as a central motif in the book? How does it shape the overall message of the work?

5. While Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office does not contain fictional characters, it does present a type of “character arc” in its transformation from the “nice girl” to the “winning woman.” How does this transformation align with traditional character development in literature, and how effective is it as a self-help framework?

6. Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office shares thematic similarities with Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, particularly in its discussion of confidence and workplace success. How does Frankel’s approach to leadership and career advancement compare to Brown’s, and how does each author structure their argument to engage readers?