Kate White, author of "The Good Girl Gets Promoted," argues that the glass ceiling for women exists not because management is male-dominated. She contends women create their own glass ceilings through their "good girl" personalities. She details nine steps for transforming a good girl into a bold girl. Bold girls shatter glass ceilings to achieve their goals.
The bold girl and the good girl each possess nine contrasting traits:
1. The good girl follows the rules; the bold girl breaks them or makes her own;
2. The good girl wants to do everything; the bold girl has a clear goal for the future;
3.Good girls work tirelessly; daring girls focus only on what matters;
4. Good girls seek universal approval; daring girls couldn't care less;
5. Good girls are meek and submissive; daring girls carry themselves like winners in speech and stride;
6.Good girls wait for praise and promotion, while daring girls ask directly for what they want;
7. Good girls avoid confronting problems head-on, while daring girls charge toward challenges;
8. Good girls care about others' opinions, while daring girls trust their instincts;
9. Good girls never take risks, while daring girls boldly take calculated risks.
Dr. Ron Taffel believes the habits of good girls form in childhood. "The character of a good girl develops during early childhood as she observes her parents' behavior. The seeds of being a good girl take root early when her parents convey messages to her." Good girls see their mothers bear the primary responsibility for caring for the family. When their fathers participate, it's merely as helpers.Girls are taught that defying parental commands or showing anger makes them seem unlovable. Therefore, to become a daring girl, one must first overcome ingrained psychological barriers before moving toward success.