Why, despite all the mentoring programs, executive training seminars, working women's networks, and other initiatives, are professional women still not where they want to be? Why are many women stereotyped as less effective than men?

Why are they frequently less visible? Is there really a set of unwritten "rules of the game" that women just don't know about? What can a woman manager do to avoid being stereotyped and to develop and showcase her skills and competencies, thereby gaining parity with men?

In an attempt to answer those questions, Fortune 500 consultants Dr. Donna Brooks and Lynn Brooks undertook a landmark research project involving hundreds of executives and managers, of both sexes, at many of the world's leading companies. In Ten Secrets of Successful Men That Women Want to Know, the authors take you behind the facade of corporate political correctness to reveal how women in the workplace are really perceivedæand how those perceptions (or misperceptions) continue to keep many talented women from the success they deserve.

Contrary to what many women believe, making it in the corporate world is as much about knowing how to "work" the organizational culture as it is about doing a superlative job. Working from their findings, Donna and Lynn Brooks have developed a set of ten powerful strategies that you can use to gain the skills and competencies that successful leaders draw on. Among other important lessons you'll learn are how to change stereotypes and gain visibility by cultivating a network, ways to develop a personal brand, and how to create a professional portfolio. You'll also discover the value of finding mentors who'll show you the ropes and advocates who'll champion your cause. And you'll uncover strategies for advertising your skills and accomplishments and for recognizing opportunities for advancement and seizing them.

And throughout Ten Secrets you'll encounter many eye-opening true-life experiences of successful leaders who learned the "rules of the game" the hard way, and who, throughout the book, share their observations on the kinds of challenges facing ambitious women in the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors. You'll also read surprisingly candid comments by executives who reveal what they really think about women and men in the workplace­­why they succeed and why they don't, their fundamental strengths and weaknesses, and how women can best capitalize on their strengths.