An Empowering Guide for Curing Self-Sabotage and Finding Success by Showing Up as Your Authentic, Vulnerable, and Powerful Self

We’ve all heard of the “glass ceiling”—referencing the external oppression women still experience in the workplace. Yet even for those of us who break through the societal barriers to success, there’s another, bigger danger: internalized oppression or, metaphorically speaking, the glass ledge. “When the very qualities that help us achieve greatness turn into self-defeating behaviors, that’s when we trip over the glass ledge,” teaches Iman Oubou. “Yet we don’t need to lose ourselves to become an ideal image of a hardworking, camera-ready woman who’s got it all. There is a better way to fulfill our dreams—one that allows us to be ourselves, on our own terms.”

With The Glass Ledge, Oubou offers a disruptive guide that explores the 10 most common themes around which women tend to derail themselves, including issues around power, likability, authenticity, conflict, and more. They are organized according to when we are most likely to face them head-on, as some issues present earlier in our careers while others tend to appear later. Each chapter focuses on one of these nuanced themes, incorporating counterintuitive and eye-opening information, including:

• Anecdotes from Oubou’s personal journey from beauty pageant queen to medical missionary and scientist to entrepreneur
• Stories from other high-profile successful women in a variety of industries
• Academic and scientific research
• Lessons and tips to overcome negative self-perception and avoid slipping off the ledge while working our way toward our own definition of success
• Exercises that will help us turn the teachings into self-reflections and ultimately actionable next steps

While societal norms around gender dynamics have shifted, there’s still a long way to go. “Each of us has the power to rewrite the scripts that will determine how we think and behave—and succeed.” The Glass Ledge is a practical and inspired call for any woman who wants to rewrite the narrative of her success—and pay her efforts forward into the world.