Authors Donna Brooks and Lynn Brooks have pieced together an excellent book on the successful strategies of women who have made it to the top. Seven Secrets of Successful Women: Success Strategies of the Women Who Have Made It - And How You Can Follow Their Lead, McGraw-Hill outlines issues that affect women's ability to be successful and how to overcome cultural messages, character flaws and multiple responsibilities to reach personal and business goals.

Although the information in the book can be utilized by both men and women, the strategies are geared to overcome gender differences that have been created by the culture, the workplace and documented psychological and personality traits inherent in women that may be productive in other environments but are detrimental in the working environment.

The relevance of the book to REALTORS^® is that the nature of the real estate professional is that of a self-starter and the conditions of employment are either self-employment or broker/management. The successful Realtor must employ a number of traits to reach his or her goals including but not limited to assertiveness, the ability to change, and the four p's - performance, perseverance, practice and patience. What is missing for many women (and some men) are early role models of success.

"Today, dual wage earners or single-parent breadwinners are the norm, not the exception," write the authors. "Our mothers didn't have to be risk-takers, worrying about balancing home and work, understanding the politics of the organization, or finding a mentor. So they didn't- and indeed couldn't - prepare us for the workplace and life that was facing us (as working women.)"

Consequently, many women feel uncomfortable in a competitive environment - which is at the heart of the real estate industry. It is this feeling that may be most responsible for the high degree of turnover in the profession -especially among women.

Although males make up 43% of the residential work force in the real estate industry, they out-earn female agents by as much as 14 per cent.

The point, though, is not to pit women and men against each other in competition for higher earnings, but to learn what subtle differences in approach and execution lead to higher earnings.

According to the Brooks sisters, successful women share seven secrets in common - all of which can be applied to the real estate professional:

• Successful people realize the importance of a mentor or an advocate.
• Successful people know how to increase their visibility.
• Successful people know how to develop an effective network.
• Successful people have learned to communicate effectively.
• Successful people can balance home and work.
• Successful people know when to take smart risks.
• Successful people understand the politics of the organization.

In her book, Games Mother Never Taught You, written in 1977, author Betty Harragan predicted the future of female leadership with uncanny accuracy. She wrote, "It will take at least twenty years before significant numbers of women begin to reach the higher echelons of business, but they will come from today's expeditionary forces of working women. It is important that volunteers in this force don't get deflected, distracted or discouraged."

Published: July 31, 2000

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