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If You Want Something Done: Leadership Lessons from Bold Women
"If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman." Margaret Thatcher
In the spirit of Thatcher's quote, Ambassador Nikki R. Haley offers inspiring examples of a range of women who worked against obstacles and opposition to get things done – including Haley herself. As a brown girl growing up in Bamberg, South Carolina, no one would have predicted she would become the first minority female governor in America, the first female and the first minority governor in South Carolina, or the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. That journey wasn’t an easy one. She faced many people who thought she didn’t belong – and told her so. She was too brown. Too female. Too young. Too conservative. Too principled. Too idealistic. As far as Nikki was concerned, those were not reasons to hold her back. Those were all reasons to forge ahead.
She drew inspiration from other trailblazing women throughout history who summoned the courage to be different and lead. In turn, she has always tried to pass on that inspiration to other women. This personal and compelling book celebrates women who dared to be bold – from household names like Margaret Thatcher and Israel’s former prime minister Golda Meir, to Jeane Kirkpatrick, the first female U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to lesser-known leaders like human rights activist Cindy Warmbier, education advocate Virginia Walden Ford, and more. Woven with stories from Haley’s own childhood and political career, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE will inspire the next generation of female leaders.
In the spirit of Thatcher's quote, Ambassador Nikki R. Haley offers inspiring examples of a range of women who worked against obstacles and opposition to get things done – including Haley herself. As a brown girl growing up in Bamberg, South Carolina, no one would have predicted she would become the first minority female governor in America, the first female and the first minority governor in South Carolina, or the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. That journey wasn’t an easy one. She faced many people who thought she didn’t belong – and told her so. She was too brown. Too female. Too young. Too conservative. Too principled. Too idealistic. As far as Nikki was concerned, those were not reasons to hold her back. Those were all reasons to forge ahead.
She drew inspiration from other trailblazing women throughout history who summoned the courage to be different and lead. In turn, she has always tried to pass on that inspiration to other women. This personal and compelling book celebrates women who dared to be bold – from household names like Margaret Thatcher and Israel’s former prime minister Golda Meir, to Jeane Kirkpatrick, the first female U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to lesser-known leaders like human rights activist Cindy Warmbier, education advocate Virginia Walden Ford, and more. Woven with stories from Haley’s own childhood and political career, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE will inspire the next generation of female leaders.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 4, 2022
124 people are currently reading
825 people want to read
About the author
Nikki R. Haley
3 books154 followersNikki Haley is an American diplomat and politician who served as United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018. As a Republican, she previously served as Governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and in the legislature. Haley was the first female governor of South Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
December 27, 2022
Nikki Haley clearly has a political agenda, and you can see it here. She's building her brand and trying to reach a broader audience. And this is, tbh, a brilliant way to do that.
If you're a yellow dog democrat (or lean hard left politically), you're probably not going to like her characterizations of the Obama or Carter administrations (amongst other things, like her use of the co-opted version of "woke"). Her criticisms are mostly related to foreign policy (which makes sense given her role as UN Ambassador). These characterizations are not a main focus of the book, but they are there, and I imagine party loyalists from both sides will take note and have difficulty separating those from the other themes of the book. Also, Haley's not afraid to toot her own horn. I mean, this is part of the point after all: branding.
With all of that said, you might think this is purely a political book. It's not. It is what it says it is: the stories of 10 women whose stories "will inspire the next generation of females leaders." And, indeed, their stories are inspirational. They are interwoven with Haley's own personal life stories, and in the conclusion, she says, "I have a kinship and sisterhood with women regardless of party" (218). She explains, "we are more than the issues the media divides us on" (218). That's why she says she didn't account for political party in choosing the women to profile in this book. She chose them because she was inspired by them in some way.
You might assume all ten women come from the political sphere, but you'd be wrong. For example, I was really pleased to see Haley include Nadia Murad's story in the book. Nadia's book Last Girl profoundly affected me. I still think about it on a regular basis. In fact, I 100% recommend that book. Haley is right when she points out that Nadia's story is one of both survival and empowerment and that it should not be forgotten, should be told and retold over and over again. Because it's that important.
Now, Haley ends Nadia's chapter the way she ends each, bringing it back to herself, her brand. Listen: you won't finish the book without knowing who Nikki Haley wants you to think she is: a strong woman, unafraid to stand up for what is right even in the face of strong opposition; a minority woman who understands firsthand the experiences of the working class; a woman who gets things done, who won't accept "no" for an answer; a problem solver; someone who thrives on challenge. In short, she wants you to know she's the kind of woman who could lead this country (stay tuned for her presidential announcement!). I'm not offering any value judgement here on Haley or a potential White House run. But this is the image she portrays of herself in the book. She also gives some solid hints to what her key platform issues will be.
There are people who will choose not to read this book because they already have an established opinion of Nikki Haley or because she's a Republican or because she's a Republican who served in the Trump administration. And I get that. Certainly, reading the book is unlikely to change anyone's already established opinion of Nikki Haley. I'm a big proponent of reader-response criticism (hey, English majors!). And while this is non-fiction, I think some of the tenets hold true: we each bring our own unique background, experiences, beliefs, and ways of being to what we read. What we get from what we read is determined by that, and so each of us may take something different away from our reading experience.
Here are some of the key things that stood out to me as I read the book in this time and place in my life:
➡️ "Its easy to talk about principles. It's hard to stand by them when everyone is lined up against you" (5).
➡️ "But to really work to lift up everyone and make lives better, you have to be willing to shake things up" (6).
➡️ "You have to be willing to put it all on the line. And you have to be willing to go through the pain to do what is right" (8).
➡️ A key to success in leadership is to, like Margaret Thatcher, "develop an immunity to the chattering class" (11).
➡️ "It's easy to mistake noise for action, but those are not the same thing. Often, it is the quiet, determined people who put in the work while someone else gets the credit" (67).
➡️ "Courage doesn't come from doing what everybody says. Courage comes from doing what you know is right" (137).
➡️ "If your heart is in the right place, if you know what you believe, if you put other people first, then you're on the right track" (175).
➡️ "If you don't fit the mold, break the mold. Our job won't be done until we know our daughter's won't have any molds left to break." (178).
➡️ She also had some thoughts on modern feminism that really resonated with me (196-98), but I won't go into that here because I don't want to start in on a debate about feminism.
So should you read it? Maybe. 🤷♀️ For me, it was a quick and easy read with some valuable reminders and a little insight into what Nikki Haley's political future holds (something that interests me for a number of reasons). There were women included whose stories I did not know, so I learned something new (always a good thing in my book, no pun intended).
👀 SN: Interestingly, Haley also shared the story of Wilma Rudolph. And that's a story that's come up in the news lately because a teacher in Florida wants her school district to remove a book about Rudolph from school libraries. You can read more about that here: https://popular.info/p/meet-the-flori....
As Haley explains, Wilma Rudolph "continues to serve as an inspiration to millions of girls who refuse to give up on their dreams" (182). Hers is a story that "...reads like a fairy tale, except there were no fairy godmothers and no magic spells. Everything she did to overcome the obstacles in her life came from her--her tenacity, her training, her disappointment after defeat, and her refusal to give up" (182). Sounds like the kind of story all young women should read...just like the other stories of women in Haley's book.
If you're a yellow dog democrat (or lean hard left politically), you're probably not going to like her characterizations of the Obama or Carter administrations (amongst other things, like her use of the co-opted version of "woke"). Her criticisms are mostly related to foreign policy (which makes sense given her role as UN Ambassador). These characterizations are not a main focus of the book, but they are there, and I imagine party loyalists from both sides will take note and have difficulty separating those from the other themes of the book. Also, Haley's not afraid to toot her own horn. I mean, this is part of the point after all: branding.
With all of that said, you might think this is purely a political book. It's not. It is what it says it is: the stories of 10 women whose stories "will inspire the next generation of females leaders." And, indeed, their stories are inspirational. They are interwoven with Haley's own personal life stories, and in the conclusion, she says, "I have a kinship and sisterhood with women regardless of party" (218). She explains, "we are more than the issues the media divides us on" (218). That's why she says she didn't account for political party in choosing the women to profile in this book. She chose them because she was inspired by them in some way.
You might assume all ten women come from the political sphere, but you'd be wrong. For example, I was really pleased to see Haley include Nadia Murad's story in the book. Nadia's book Last Girl profoundly affected me. I still think about it on a regular basis. In fact, I 100% recommend that book. Haley is right when she points out that Nadia's story is one of both survival and empowerment and that it should not be forgotten, should be told and retold over and over again. Because it's that important.
Now, Haley ends Nadia's chapter the way she ends each, bringing it back to herself, her brand. Listen: you won't finish the book without knowing who Nikki Haley wants you to think she is: a strong woman, unafraid to stand up for what is right even in the face of strong opposition; a minority woman who understands firsthand the experiences of the working class; a woman who gets things done, who won't accept "no" for an answer; a problem solver; someone who thrives on challenge. In short, she wants you to know she's the kind of woman who could lead this country (stay tuned for her presidential announcement!). I'm not offering any value judgement here on Haley or a potential White House run. But this is the image she portrays of herself in the book. She also gives some solid hints to what her key platform issues will be.
There are people who will choose not to read this book because they already have an established opinion of Nikki Haley or because she's a Republican or because she's a Republican who served in the Trump administration. And I get that. Certainly, reading the book is unlikely to change anyone's already established opinion of Nikki Haley. I'm a big proponent of reader-response criticism (hey, English majors!). And while this is non-fiction, I think some of the tenets hold true: we each bring our own unique background, experiences, beliefs, and ways of being to what we read. What we get from what we read is determined by that, and so each of us may take something different away from our reading experience.
Here are some of the key things that stood out to me as I read the book in this time and place in my life:
➡️ "Its easy to talk about principles. It's hard to stand by them when everyone is lined up against you" (5).
➡️ "But to really work to lift up everyone and make lives better, you have to be willing to shake things up" (6).
➡️ "You have to be willing to put it all on the line. And you have to be willing to go through the pain to do what is right" (8).
➡️ A key to success in leadership is to, like Margaret Thatcher, "develop an immunity to the chattering class" (11).
➡️ "It's easy to mistake noise for action, but those are not the same thing. Often, it is the quiet, determined people who put in the work while someone else gets the credit" (67).
➡️ "Courage doesn't come from doing what everybody says. Courage comes from doing what you know is right" (137).
➡️ "If your heart is in the right place, if you know what you believe, if you put other people first, then you're on the right track" (175).
➡️ "If you don't fit the mold, break the mold. Our job won't be done until we know our daughter's won't have any molds left to break." (178).
➡️ She also had some thoughts on modern feminism that really resonated with me (196-98), but I won't go into that here because I don't want to start in on a debate about feminism.
So should you read it? Maybe. 🤷♀️ For me, it was a quick and easy read with some valuable reminders and a little insight into what Nikki Haley's political future holds (something that interests me for a number of reasons). There were women included whose stories I did not know, so I learned something new (always a good thing in my book, no pun intended).
👀 SN: Interestingly, Haley also shared the story of Wilma Rudolph. And that's a story that's come up in the news lately because a teacher in Florida wants her school district to remove a book about Rudolph from school libraries. You can read more about that here: https://popular.info/p/meet-the-flori....
As Haley explains, Wilma Rudolph "continues to serve as an inspiration to millions of girls who refuse to give up on their dreams" (182). Hers is a story that "...reads like a fairy tale, except there were no fairy godmothers and no magic spells. Everything she did to overcome the obstacles in her life came from her--her tenacity, her training, her disappointment after defeat, and her refusal to give up" (182). Sounds like the kind of story all young women should read...just like the other stories of women in Haley's book.
November 14, 2022
Did not finish, which is VERY unusual for me. I was looking forward to learning from these women in leadership positions, but the author couldn’t help but consistently insert her own political and social beliefs (plus annoying humble brags and infuriating passive aggressive digs at others) so much that it watered down and ruined what I think was the intent of the book, ultimately doing a disservice to the women featured in each chapter - shame on you, author.
July 22, 2022
Nikki Haley’s new self help/inspirational book for women this fall will be ideal for gift giving…..it doesn’t get very political, just one small segment of it; it’s just about highlighting 10 women that are important to Nikki, her sharing her thoughts on them and the inspiration they gave her, and giving a quick synopsis of their lives.
A brief book, the digital galley I received is short, 34% of the manuscript was notes/quote citations….but I did enjoy reading it quickly!
A brief book, the digital galley I received is short, 34% of the manuscript was notes/quote citations….but I did enjoy reading it quickly!
December 13, 2022
To say that this book was written for a very specific audience would be an understatement. Between the loaded language and the constant belittlement of the "other" political party, it was obvious this was meant as an echo chamber for a certain set of views.
I find it difficult to respect someone (regardless of their politics) who attempts to justify their actions or tout their own accomplishments by denigrating anyone who has an opposing viewpoint. The hubris in using her own quotes as chapter headings speaks volumes. In fact, these are the very things that make Haley a hypocrite (something she was quick to accuse "woke liberals" of). She cannot attempt to encourage us all to be our better selves when she herself makes no attempt to do so.
Politics aside, the writing was akin to an under-researched junior high book report. If I were a teacher grading said report and saw that many ibids in the footnotes, I would seriously question the validity of the research. While I will not delve into each and every chapter, I would strongly suggest to anyone reading this book that they take a small bit of effort to do their own investigation. If nothing else, read the entire GQ article regarding Otto Warmbier (not just the paragraphs Haley copied and pasted to fit her own narrative) and then come to your own conclusions.
The self-aggrandizing introductions to each paragraph were not necessary to exemplify any admirable attributes of her subjects. Between the heavily politicized pandering and the cursory glance at these women's lives, Haley actually diminishes their accomplishments. Again, I would suggest taking the time to read full biographies of remarkable women like Thatcher, Meir, et al. Don't relegate these women to a couple of paragraphs and a whole lot of ibids.
I find it difficult to respect someone (regardless of their politics) who attempts to justify their actions or tout their own accomplishments by denigrating anyone who has an opposing viewpoint. The hubris in using her own quotes as chapter headings speaks volumes. In fact, these are the very things that make Haley a hypocrite (something she was quick to accuse "woke liberals" of). She cannot attempt to encourage us all to be our better selves when she herself makes no attempt to do so.
Politics aside, the writing was akin to an under-researched junior high book report. If I were a teacher grading said report and saw that many ibids in the footnotes, I would seriously question the validity of the research. While I will not delve into each and every chapter, I would strongly suggest to anyone reading this book that they take a small bit of effort to do their own investigation. If nothing else, read the entire GQ article regarding Otto Warmbier (not just the paragraphs Haley copied and pasted to fit her own narrative) and then come to your own conclusions.
The self-aggrandizing introductions to each paragraph were not necessary to exemplify any admirable attributes of her subjects. Between the heavily politicized pandering and the cursory glance at these women's lives, Haley actually diminishes their accomplishments. Again, I would suggest taking the time to read full biographies of remarkable women like Thatcher, Meir, et al. Don't relegate these women to a couple of paragraphs and a whole lot of ibids.
December 31, 2022
A great choice if you like biography. These are quick reads of great women in American history. And yet you probably have not heard of several. I think my favorite chapter was in Claudette Colvin. You’ve heard of Rosa Parks, but did you know Colvin was the first black person arrested for refusing to give up her seat in a Montgomery bus? However, she was too dark and too young for civil rights leaders to make her the poster child for the bus boycott. Yet, she fought on. The subjects include diplomats, politicians, an athlete, an aviator, and mothers fighting for their children. All women who refused to step down so they could make a difference.
October 5, 2022
An inspiring collection of mini biographies interspersed with personal asides from Nikki.
After reading the other major biography release for this week, “Confidence Man”, I needed to read something I hoped would be less partisan and “If You Want Something Done” is a giant success on that front. It is highly female forward, as noted in the subtitle, but not at the cost or derision of men and many political parties are represented from this and other countries, without judgment or central focus. These ten bold women and their amazing accomplishments are front and center.
Author, Nikki Haley, is giving time and attention to 10 women who have had a profound impact on the world. Some were very familiar to me; others not so much. Each story is impactful and worthy of sharing. These woman are brave pioneers, changed the world for the better and we can learn much from them.
The title of this book is a slightly truncated version of a quote from Margaret Thatcher: “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” Maggie is the first bio in this quick reading volume and I’ve already read it twice. Her story, along with Golda Meir’s, are two that were particularly interesting to me. Both of these women were considerably older than I was but were at the pinnacle of their careers in politics as I was beginning mine in publishing. Dealing with the old guard of male dominated norms existed in the UK & Israel politics and NYC publishing at the same time. Nikki faced the same challenge at the statehouse in SC and at the UN just a few years ago in very contemporary politics. Change can be very slow…
Other bios include Otto Warmbier’s mom who continues to make North Korea pay for murdering her son, Amelia Earhart who is a feminist before her time and a fly girl extraordinaire, an ISIS sex slave survivor with a mind boggling story of victory and continued pursuit of ISIS, the first Olympic multi gold medalist winner, and others with equally stunning and encouraging stories.
A book to be shared, discussed and reread, “If You Want Something Done” is going on my gifting list for Christmas 2022📚
After reading the other major biography release for this week, “Confidence Man”, I needed to read something I hoped would be less partisan and “If You Want Something Done” is a giant success on that front. It is highly female forward, as noted in the subtitle, but not at the cost or derision of men and many political parties are represented from this and other countries, without judgment or central focus. These ten bold women and their amazing accomplishments are front and center.
Author, Nikki Haley, is giving time and attention to 10 women who have had a profound impact on the world. Some were very familiar to me; others not so much. Each story is impactful and worthy of sharing. These woman are brave pioneers, changed the world for the better and we can learn much from them.
The title of this book is a slightly truncated version of a quote from Margaret Thatcher: “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” Maggie is the first bio in this quick reading volume and I’ve already read it twice. Her story, along with Golda Meir’s, are two that were particularly interesting to me. Both of these women were considerably older than I was but were at the pinnacle of their careers in politics as I was beginning mine in publishing. Dealing with the old guard of male dominated norms existed in the UK & Israel politics and NYC publishing at the same time. Nikki faced the same challenge at the statehouse in SC and at the UN just a few years ago in very contemporary politics. Change can be very slow…
Other bios include Otto Warmbier’s mom who continues to make North Korea pay for murdering her son, Amelia Earhart who is a feminist before her time and a fly girl extraordinaire, an ISIS sex slave survivor with a mind boggling story of victory and continued pursuit of ISIS, the first Olympic multi gold medalist winner, and others with equally stunning and encouraging stories.
A book to be shared, discussed and reread, “If You Want Something Done” is going on my gifting list for Christmas 2022📚
May 30, 2023
They say “your book is your business card” nowadays. Meeting Nikki and hearing her discuss some of the women highlighted in this book motivated me to to give it a read.
It only took a few hours to get through the book; I learned about women I wouldn’t have otherwise known about. Some that were especially interesting to me have led me to autobiographies on these women for a deeper dive into their stories.
The interim passages between these stories felt like posturing and, early on, writing towards Haley’s base. As a politician, this doesn’t shock me. It helped me understand more of Nikki’s “origin story” and how she became who she is today. Regardless of political leanings, I find it important to familiarize myself with a variety of people - especially those who have a very different story than my own.
It only took a few hours to get through the book; I learned about women I wouldn’t have otherwise known about. Some that were especially interesting to me have led me to autobiographies on these women for a deeper dive into their stories.
The interim passages between these stories felt like posturing and, early on, writing towards Haley’s base. As a politician, this doesn’t shock me. It helped me understand more of Nikki’s “origin story” and how she became who she is today. Regardless of political leanings, I find it important to familiarize myself with a variety of people - especially those who have a very different story than my own.
November 21, 2022
I was looking forward to this book. I was excited to learn about these women. But nope this is a very right leaning author and you know it. Her political beliefs are garbage and It was a no for me.
January 3, 2023
While I understand the point the author was trying to make about how women of different backgrounds, times, and political parties seen in history all displayed bold leadership, I was deeply disappointed by the end of the book. By the fifth female she wrote about in a short twelve page autobiography format, it felt redundant at that point. I wished the author would have elaborated more on her own person journey as a bold and strong female leader rather than fill pages with woman we are already familiar with. I think she highlighted some excellent examples of strong leaders, but by the end of this book I thought I was going to learn from the author's own personal experiences what it meant to get something done rather than her explain in a few short sentences. Again, I enjoyed hearing about all the amazing figures, but for me, it needed more depth from the author.
October 2, 2022
I was sent an advanced copy of former Amb Nikki Haley’s book and found it to be an easy, uplifting, positive read. 10 profiles of courage and inspiration of women spanning politics, generations, and backgrounds. Haley also wove in her experiences to parallel the women she highlighted and made it more relatable.
Compared to other books, this one gave light even to conservative women who aren’t perceived as “gutsy” enough.
I think readers, women or not, will be inspired by these women—who were/are victors and not victims.
Highly recommend you check it out and get a copy ahead of its October 4th release!
Compared to other books, this one gave light even to conservative women who aren’t perceived as “gutsy” enough.
I think readers, women or not, will be inspired by these women—who were/are victors and not victims.
Highly recommend you check it out and get a copy ahead of its October 4th release!
June 30, 2024
It was okay.
I'm a fan of Nikki Haley but I felt like this collection didn't really delve into any one story sufficiently to leave much of a takeaway. It was interesting to see how Haley connected to each woman, but her stories sounded repetitive after a while.
I hate to say it but...unless you particularly care for a slight sketch on Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Cindy Warmbier, Virginia Walden Ford, etc. you can probably safely skip.
I'm a fan of Nikki Haley but I felt like this collection didn't really delve into any one story sufficiently to leave much of a takeaway. It was interesting to see how Haley connected to each woman, but her stories sounded repetitive after a while.
I hate to say it but...unless you particularly care for a slight sketch on Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Cindy Warmbier, Virginia Walden Ford, etc. you can probably safely skip.
October 9, 2022
Exceptionally great
This book should be read by every woman. The 10 women whose stories are shared by former Ambassador Haley are inspiring and remarkable. We as women should share these women with our daughters and our granddaughters.
This book should be read by every woman. The 10 women whose stories are shared by former Ambassador Haley are inspiring and remarkable. We as women should share these women with our daughters and our granddaughters.
November 1, 2023
In my fantasy world, the 2024 election is between Kamala Harris and Nikki Haley.
May 15, 2023
Listened to this one and really enjoy hearing it read by the author. I went on a couple of long walks and finished it pretty quick. While Nikki Haley is a Republican presidential nominee right now, the book was about 10 influential women in history and how they were leaders or trailblazers in their fields. Some were ordinary people, athletes, politicians, etc. I learned a lot about these women and their stories and while Nikki does talk about her political career in the context of these women, the books point is more about how to be a woman leader, not swaying the reader on her views. It was a good listen and taught me some new things in history.
July 5, 2023
Listened this to try and consider other viewpoints across the political spectrum. Tried really hard to be open-minded but... yeah, it was pretty much what one would expect from someone who worked in the Trump Administration. She's clearly gearing up for her presidential run, and while I appreciate women in leadership, I just couldn't connect with a lot of her social views.
February 26, 2023
I enjoyed learning about women who have done great things until their lifetimes. I was not a fan of the underlying political beliefs the author added throughout the book. I did not even have to look up her political beliefs to know what her thoughts are. I was disappointed with how she wrote about feminism because we need men to understand and support as much as we need women to stand up for themselves. It should be a team effort and she does not agree.
March 24, 2023
Beautifully written. The stories within this book are inspiring and empowering. They invoke a deep sense of reverence and respect for the women who have dared to lead and dared to dream big.
January 23, 2023
Haley tells short biographies of 10 inspirational women, from Margaret Thatcher to Golda Meir to the amazing Wilma Rudolph. Highly recommended!
Listened on Overdrive.
Listened on Overdrive.
October 9, 2022
As Stevo’s Novel Ideas, I am a long-time book reviewer, member of the media, an Influencer, and a content provider. I received this book as a free review copy from either the publisher, a publicist, or the author, and have not been otherwise compensated for reviewing or recommending it. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This book was Stevo's Business Book of the Week for the week of 10/9, as selected by Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet and Stevo's Novel Ideas. Haley's sharply intimate and inspirational book celebrates the world's most iconic women leaders.
"If You Want Something Done" contains Haley's selection of 10 women who inspired her, each with a specific accomplishment or lesson, such as taking action or never giving up.
There are a few well-known names such as Golda Meir and Amelia Earnhart, but at least half were not previously known to me. An especially resonant story (under the heading "Service over Self") is that of Virginia Hall, a successful special operations agent during WWII and one of the first females hired by the newly-formed CIA, where she ended up sidelined and stuck at a desk job due to her gender.
Though Haley, a Republican, is a former Governor of Georgia (2011-2017), former ambassador to the United Nations (2017-2019), and who has hinted that she may run for president in 2024, her book is refreshingly non-partisan and contains little gender-bashing.
Find more Business Books of the Week on my Goodreads Listopia page at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9..., and find many more reviewed and recommended books and products by searching for me on Google.
This book was Stevo's Business Book of the Week for the week of 10/9, as selected by Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet and Stevo's Novel Ideas. Haley's sharply intimate and inspirational book celebrates the world's most iconic women leaders.
"If You Want Something Done" contains Haley's selection of 10 women who inspired her, each with a specific accomplishment or lesson, such as taking action or never giving up.
There are a few well-known names such as Golda Meir and Amelia Earnhart, but at least half were not previously known to me. An especially resonant story (under the heading "Service over Self") is that of Virginia Hall, a successful special operations agent during WWII and one of the first females hired by the newly-formed CIA, where she ended up sidelined and stuck at a desk job due to her gender.
Though Haley, a Republican, is a former Governor of Georgia (2011-2017), former ambassador to the United Nations (2017-2019), and who has hinted that she may run for president in 2024, her book is refreshingly non-partisan and contains little gender-bashing.
Find more Business Books of the Week on my Goodreads Listopia page at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9..., and find many more reviewed and recommended books and products by searching for me on Google.
October 7, 2023
I picked up this book because I genuinely wanted to know what she is about and what she had to say. If you love insecure women belittling those who intimidate them, maybe this book is for you? The entire book is a regurgitation of conservative propaganda. Do better, Nikki. DNF.
August 27, 2025
I'm not sure this book is really about women's leadership, but it encourages women to be global citizens and to create change in their communities. I really enjoyed how it would switch between the author life and various women through out recent history who changed the world/their countries.
February 1, 2023
This was such a fun, motivational read about 10 historical women who made a difference in the lives of many. I learned a lot reading mini biographies about how women have stood up and had a voice. Haley reinforces each women's story with any opening anectdote of her own while lightly touching on her politics and times she's had to use her voice as a woman.
Haley provides a very upbeat perspective and her minimal political digs are based in truth and reality, unlike the majority of comments from the less forgiving party, that I often find in modern Fiction/Non-Fiction alike - I'm talking to you Stephen King! A wonderful book for any strong, motivated woman to read. So refreshing to read a book by an intelligent, conservative female.
Haley provides a very upbeat perspective and her minimal political digs are based in truth and reality, unlike the majority of comments from the less forgiving party, that I often find in modern Fiction/Non-Fiction alike - I'm talking to you Stephen King! A wonderful book for any strong, motivated woman to read. So refreshing to read a book by an intelligent, conservative female.
May 2, 2023
Listen, I really look up to Nikki Haley as a leader, but this book was not what I expected. I thought it would be the stories of the 10 women, how they inspired Haley, and how their stories changed her perspectives in a deeper manner than what she explained. It also really annoyed me that she quoted herself along with each of the women.
Overall, I enjoyed learning the histories of these women, but it just felt a bit too forced. (No hate, Nikki. You keep standing up for what is right!)
Overall, I enjoyed learning the histories of these women, but it just felt a bit too forced. (No hate, Nikki. You keep standing up for what is right!)
January 17, 2023
Did not finish. I was looking for inspiration and didn’t find it here. If I wanted to read of Margaret Thatcher, I’d pick up a book on Margaret Thatcher. Too political and no substance. Obama screwed up the UN, how? What is her opinion of what could have been done better? Too much, they didn’t measure up, but no substance or examples of why.
February 11, 2023
I wanted to like this book. This is the type of book I usually LOVE. Two stars, simply because the author wrote about some women whom are often overlooked in media, otherwise I'd give fewer stars. I admit, I did it know who Nikki Haley was before reading this book, which is probably why I read it. Once I did some googling and found out who she was and what her agenda is, everything made sense.
In giving brief biographies of some of the most inspiring women in history, this author found ways to make everything about herself and make discouraging remarks anyone from an opposing political party. Multiple times I was utterly disgusted by her use of charged language and general undertone to the book. There was no inspiration to be found in this book. What a major disappointment.
In giving brief biographies of some of the most inspiring women in history, this author found ways to make everything about herself and make discouraging remarks anyone from an opposing political party. Multiple times I was utterly disgusted by her use of charged language and general undertone to the book. There was no inspiration to be found in this book. What a major disappointment.
February 12, 2023
I probably should have looked this one up before I picked it up off the shelf. I did enjoy the stories of the featured women, but could have gone without political jabs. Overall the concept was good, but sometimes the execution left me cringing. I didn’t know the authors history.
February 12, 2023
I was disappointed by this book. It’s all assertions and anecdotes, very little evidence, lots of tough-talk posturing without substance and cheap shots at political enemies also without bothering with evidence. Someone I love held Nikki Haley out to me as a role model of being a strong woman in a challenging environment. I was hoping to find a serious person, committed to real ideals and grounded in intellectual honesty and competence. She chose to live down to the stereotype, and in doing so, I think she did the women she profiled a disservice. I stuck with it for 20 percent, but assuming she goes on as she begins, this is not a good use of my time.
May 12, 2023
I hated it.
If she wanted to write micro histories of famous and influential women in modern history she could have done it in a much better way. She is a powerful influential woman herself. She has a unique perspective. The whole book wasn't about leadership lessons from bold women or even how these people's stories influenced her. This was her attempt to take other women's stories, twist them into right wing talking points, and regurgitate it in a way to shade and belittle people who don't agree with her politically.
If she wanted to write micro histories of famous and influential women in modern history she could have done it in a much better way. She is a powerful influential woman herself. She has a unique perspective. The whole book wasn't about leadership lessons from bold women or even how these people's stories influenced her. This was her attempt to take other women's stories, twist them into right wing talking points, and regurgitate it in a way to shade and belittle people who don't agree with her politically.
August 30, 2023
I picked this up from the library as background reading for the upcoming election cycle. It’s pretty short, so I didn’t think it would take long to read. My expectation turned to be accurate (although I did find it kind of boring, so I put it down for a while in the middle), partly due to the page count and partly due to the writing’s surprising lack of density.
Haley is a mediocre writer. This work is serviceable at best, and trite and simplistic if I’m less charitable. A lot of sentences are clumsy and repetitive. Ideas are not woven together so much as hammered into shape, with arguments falling next to each other like a mosaic instead of building a compelling whole. It’s fine, I guess, but it’s nothing special.
This book does do one of the things I was hoping it would: it reveals a lot about Haley’s assumptions, values, and stances on many of the issues that will be relevant in the upcoming election. She doesn’t list off her policy opinions, but she explains her approval or condemnation of various figures in ways that show her political beliefs. The book also gives the audience a picture of Haley’s leadership style, management style, and attitude toward foreign affairs. It’s a decent look at her as a candidate.
My last point is an emotional reaction. Is this really still where we are with women in American politics? That’s disheartening to think about. This book is written like it’s supposed to be optimistic, but the “girl power” message largely falls flat for me. Women’s empowerment is a worthy cause, and some chapters of this book manage more sincerity than others. (Nadia Murad’s chapter is very illustrative of how far there is still to go for women’s equality on a global scale.) However, when Haley tries to transpose the lessons she pulls from these women’s stories onto present-day American politics, she ends up oversimplifying until her rhetoric sounds like a child on the playground saying anything a boy can do, a girl can do better. American politics as old boys’ club is a well-known reality, but we’re working on additional layers of the fight for equality now, not just on having women run for office. Haley’s message is a flattened version of feminism, and while her writing has conviction, it lacks the power I expected from the first minority female governor of South Carolina. Girl power is no longer the revolutionary concept it once was, and in relying on it, Haley loses a lot of punch. We’ll see how her angle performs in the public eye over the next several months.
Three stars, which is a bit generous. This book is clunky and unmemorable, but it is coherent.
Haley is a mediocre writer. This work is serviceable at best, and trite and simplistic if I’m less charitable. A lot of sentences are clumsy and repetitive. Ideas are not woven together so much as hammered into shape, with arguments falling next to each other like a mosaic instead of building a compelling whole. It’s fine, I guess, but it’s nothing special.
This book does do one of the things I was hoping it would: it reveals a lot about Haley’s assumptions, values, and stances on many of the issues that will be relevant in the upcoming election. She doesn’t list off her policy opinions, but she explains her approval or condemnation of various figures in ways that show her political beliefs. The book also gives the audience a picture of Haley’s leadership style, management style, and attitude toward foreign affairs. It’s a decent look at her as a candidate.
My last point is an emotional reaction. Is this really still where we are with women in American politics? That’s disheartening to think about. This book is written like it’s supposed to be optimistic, but the “girl power” message largely falls flat for me. Women’s empowerment is a worthy cause, and some chapters of this book manage more sincerity than others. (Nadia Murad’s chapter is very illustrative of how far there is still to go for women’s equality on a global scale.) However, when Haley tries to transpose the lessons she pulls from these women’s stories onto present-day American politics, she ends up oversimplifying until her rhetoric sounds like a child on the playground saying anything a boy can do, a girl can do better. American politics as old boys’ club is a well-known reality, but we’re working on additional layers of the fight for equality now, not just on having women run for office. Haley’s message is a flattened version of feminism, and while her writing has conviction, it lacks the power I expected from the first minority female governor of South Carolina. Girl power is no longer the revolutionary concept it once was, and in relying on it, Haley loses a lot of punch. We’ll see how her angle performs in the public eye over the next several months.
Three stars, which is a bit generous. This book is clunky and unmemorable, but it is coherent.
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