Landing a job is only the first step in a career, according to internationally recognised executive coach and leadership expert Dr Lois Frankel, who says many young women enter the workforce expecting that qualifications and hard work will be enough to secure long-term success.
Frankel says workplace performance is often shaped by unwritten dynamics that are not taught before entering professional environments. She notes that the first 90 days are particularly critical, as new employees are assessed not only on competence, but also on confidence, communication style, executive presence and perceived leadership potential.
To address these challenges, Frankel has released an updated 2026 edition of her book Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office, a New York Times bestseller. The book focuses on strategies for building credibility, self-advocacy and avoiding subtle workplace behaviours that can hinder career progression.
The updated edition also examines modern workplace issues, including AI-driven disruption, corporate gaslighting, challenges faced by women of colour, remote working environments, the impact of the Me Too movement, shifting diversity policies and broader social changes affecting women in the workplace.
