Sideways To The Top

Sideways to the Top is a thought-provoking book that explores how 11 women challenged the status quo and took alternative career pathways to the top. The 10 case studies challenge many of the generalisations and stereotypes about how women achieve success, told through the stories of a diverse range of women leaders, including some seen as Australian icons and others with lower profiles who nonetheless have achieved a great deal.

The book also features:

• Chapters about the realities and current issues facing women building their careers, linking useful ideas and tools with the realities of those whose stories are told.
• An example of how one multinational corporate is changing the culture and mindset in the business towards accepting diversity as a business imperative.
• A practical checklist and action plan to help women navigate their career.

The Author: Norah is a director of Macfarlan Lane, leaders in executive career management and coaching. She has over 25 years of line management and consulting experience in human resource management, change management, and organisational effectiveness across a range of sectors including government, manufacturing, professional services firms, financial services, and the not-for-profit sector.

She assists organisations in achieving superior performance through facilitating strategic planning processes, building high-achieving, capable and strategically focused teams, and coaching line managers to achieve career success. As a consultant, Norah provides coaching and career transition services to many of Australia's top companies. She is passionate about helping individuals reflect on their personal style, values, and capabilities and use this insight to develop their leadership capability and realise their potential.

Norah also co-facilitates the Certificate in Professional Coaching course, a public coaching leadership programme. Norah possesses a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation.

Norah has accreditations in a range of diagnostic tools including Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Firo-B and Belbin Team Roles, and is also a qualified NLP practitioner. Norah is also a recipient of the Telstra Business Women's award. Norah has held a number of positions on boards of not-for-profit organisations and is currently President of Extended Families Australia.