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

In this section, Frankel focuses on how women’s behaviors, self-presentation, and responses to workplace interactions impact their professional success and offers strategies to enhance credibility, assertiveness, and career advancement. 

One of Frankel’s most effective nonfiction techniques is the strategic use of anecdotes, which thematically illustrate The Influence of Societal Conditioning on Professional Behavior. For instance, in Chapter 8, the opening example of a young girl’s socialized response to inappropriate behavior at a movie theater underscores a deeply ingrained cultural norm: Women are conditioned to be polite and nonconfrontational even in the face of serious violations. Frankel does not merely recount this story as a personal tragedy but uses it as a launchpad to discuss how early socialization impacts professional behavior, particularly in how women respond to unfair treatment. 

This reliance on anecdotal evidence extends throughout the book, serving as both a strength and a limitation in her argument. Frankel frequently uses storytelling to illustrate her points, often drawing from her own professional experiences or interactions with clients. While this method makes her advice engaging and relatable, it also reveals her own biases, particularly in areas where her views align with traditional corporate expectations. For example, in Chapter 7, her anecdote about the female scientist whose boss recommended she “Maybe she could start wearing makeup” (275), is framed as a valuable career insight rather than a reflection of gendered double standards. She presents this as a choice women must make to advance rather than questioning why such expectations persist. Her discussion of hairstyles (Mistake 106) follows a similar logic, where she recounts the story of a consultant advised to “lose the Alice in Wonderland look” (277), to be taken more seriously in a male-dominated environment. Rather than challenging this feedback, Frankel presents it as pragmatic advice, reinforcing the notion that women must adapt to pre-existing workplace norms rather than reshaping them.

A recurring literary technique Frankel uses is juxtaposition, particularly in her discussion of gendered expectations. She frequently contrasts how men and women respond to workplace situations to highlight implicit biases. In Chapter 8, when discussing Mistake 118, she details how Betty, an experienced consultant, allowed a male executive to override her professional judgment, leading to disastrous results. Frankel does not explicitly state that women are always more knowledgeable or that men always overestimate their expertise, but the repeated examples of women deferring to authority subtly expose a pattern. She further reinforces this theme with direct, assertive coaching tips, such as “Before assuming someone knows more than you, ask a few probing questions to determine his or her expertise” (304). This combination of anecdotal evidence and prescriptive advice ensures that her critique of gendered behavior is not merely theoretical but actionable.

Another key element of Frankel’s rhetorical strategy is her use of corporate and legal references to support her arguments. For instance, in Chapter 8, when discussing Mistake 114, she references the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling in the case of Dawnmarie Souza to substantiate her warning against airing workplace grievances online. This incorporation of real-world policies and legal precedents strengthens her authority and adds an empirical foundation to her claims. Similarly, in Mistake 129: “Playing the Gender Card” (327), she draws on her background as an equal employment specialist to caution women about the potential repercussions of discrimination claims. She doesn’t dismiss the existence of sexism but pragmatically advises that “poor management is not illegal” (327), urging women to consider alternative strategies before filing formal complaints. 

Frankel’s use of humor further engages readers while thematically highlighting Strategies for Overcoming Gender Stereotypes in The Workplace. In Chapter 8, when discussing Mistake 119, she sarcastically comments on how some men justify asking women to perform menial tasks: “Let’s have ______ [fill in the blank with any woman’s name] take notes. She has the best handwriting” (305). This wry observation mocks the absurdity of such gendered assumptions while simultaneously making readers more aware of their own experiences. 

Throughout the chapter, Frankel incorporates cognitive reframing as a literary and psychological tool, which thematically reinforces Empowerment Through Self-Awareness and Behavioral Change. In Mistake 124: “Denying Your Power” (316), she recounts Juanita’s struggle with recognizing her influence as a lawyer in a male-dominated firm. Rather than telling Juanita to act more powerful, Frankel helps her redefine power itself, shifting from a traditionally masculine definition (controlling others) to a more personalized one (controlling one’s own choices). This method of reframing entrenched beliefs aligns with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, which suggests that Frankel is not merely offering career advice but advocating deeper psychological shifts.

While Frankel’s strategies provide practical guidance for women navigating workplace challenges, they also highlight a significant limitation: Her approach prioritizes individual adaptation over systemic critique. Rather than addressing the structural biases that create these obstacles, she places the responsibility on women to modify their behaviors to fit within existing norms. This narrow focus is evident in her coaching tips, which, rather than challenging the inequities women face, reinforce the idea that success depends on conforming to traditional workplace expectations. For instance, in Chapter 7, her advice on makeup includes consulting department store salespeople, subtly endorsing conventional beauty standards rather than questioning their validity. Similarly, her discussion of body language (Mistakes 101–104) encourages women to take up more space, use controlled gestures, and maintain direct eye contact—strategies that align with dominant leadership norms but fail to acknowledge the broader cultural double standards that penalize women for exhibiting the same assertiveness that benefits men. This pragmatic stance acknowledges gendered biases but stops short of challenging them, reflecting Frankel’s overall emphasis on working within the system rather than questioning its foundations.

In addition, Frankel uses contrasting examples to illustrate behavioral missteps, sometimes incorporating pop culture references to reinforce her points. Her comparison of Joan Rivers’ over-the-top gestures to Christine Lagarde’s composed presence highlights the range of acceptable expressions in professional settings, positioning Lagarde as the ideal model of authoritative femininity. Similarly, her critique of “overcarbonation” and “undercarbonation” (Mistake 103) uses the example of Carol Burnett’s exaggerated expressiveness versus Julie Andrews’ restrained demeanor, suggesting that both extremes undermine credibility. By doing so, Frankel implicitly endorses a middle-ground approach, where women should be engaging but not excessive, expressive but not emotional—standards that remain highly gendered in professional evaluations.

Throughout the chapters, Frankel’s tone oscillates between mentorship and sharp critique, at times verging on prescriptive. While her advice is positioned as empowering, the underlying message reinforces corporate conformity rather than challenging systemic barriers. The way she frames women’s unconscious behaviors, whether sitting on their foot (Mistake 108) or tilting their heads (Mistake 104), suggests that these habits are not just personal tendencies but professional liabilities. Her use of declarative statements and rhetorical questions, such as “Do you want tattoos or piercings to be what people are talking about? Do you really want them to define your brand?” (265), positions her perspective as definitive, leaving little room for alternative interpretations. This authoritative approach strengthens the book’s instructional style but limits engagement with the complexities of gendered workplace expectations.