Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less

by Tiffany Dufu, Gloria Steinem (Foreword by)

Overview

Tiffany Dufu's Drop the Ball is a bold and inspiring memoir and manifesto from a renowned voice in the women's leadership movement that shows women how to cultivate the single skill they really need in order to thrive: the ability to let go.

Once the poster girl for doing it all, after she had her first child, Tiffany Dufu struggled to accomplish everything she thought she needed to in order to succeed. Like so many driven and talented women who have been brought up to believe that to have it all, they must do it all, Dufu began to feel that achieving her career and personal goals was an impossibility. Eventually, she discovered the solution: letting go. In Drop the Ball, Dufu recounts how she learned to reevaluate expectations, shrink her to-do list, and meaningfully engage the assistance of others—freeing the space she needed to flourish at work and to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships at home.

Even though women are half the workforce, they still represent only eighteen per cent of the highest level leaders. The reasons are obvious: just as women reach middle management they are also starting families. Mounting responsibilities at work and home leave them with no bandwidth to do what will most lead to their success. Offering new perspective on why the women’s leadership movement has stalled, and packed with actionable advice, Tiffany Dufu’s Drop the Ball urges women to embrace imperfection, to expect less of themselves and more from others—only then can they focus on what they truly care about, devote the necessary energy to achieving their real goals, and create the type of rich, rewarding life we all desire.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250071767
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Publication date:	08/28/2018
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	386,526
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Named to Fast Company’s League of Extraordinary Women, Tiffany Dufu was a launch team member to Lean In and is Chief Leadership Officer to Levo, the fastest growing millennial professional network. She’s been featured in The New York Times, ESSENCE, O, The Oprah Magazine, and on NPR. She is a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, a sought after speaker on women’s leadership, and has presented at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, MAKERS and TEDWomen. She earned a BA and an MA in English from the University of Washington. Author of Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less, she lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

Table of Contents

Foreword Gloria Steinem ix

Introduction 1

Part 1 Doing It All

1 A Woman's Place 13

2 Prince Charming 30

3 Working Mom 40

4 Home Control Disease 53

5 Life-Go-Round 66

Part 2 Something's Gotta Give

6 The Turning Point 77

7 What Matters Most 83

8 The Law of Comparative Advantage 93

9 On the Precipice of Change 103

Part 3 Drop the Ball

10 Go Ahead, Drop the Ball 113

11 Clarify Who Does What 121

12 Believe in Team 131

13 Recruit a Village 139

Part 4 All-In Partners

14 Done Is Another Person's Perfect 153

15 Affirm with Gratitude 167

16 Don't Buy the Stereotype 180

17 Happiness Motivates Everyone 194

18 Why We Need Men 203

Part 5 Looking Ahead

19 The Four Go-Tos 217

20 Final Frontier 237

21 Freedom 247

Acknowledgments 259

Notes 263

Index 277

Editorial Reviews

"There are two ways that a system of power stays in power. The first is obvious—unequal laws, unequal opportunity, very unequal money, and violence or the threat of violence—the second is more internal and difficult to uproot. Tiffany Dufu's Drop the Ball is crucial because it takes on that deeper system. She is the right author for this important moment in time. She offers actionable wisdom to pass from one woman to another, from her family to yours. She not only shows that we all gain when women become part of, contribute our talents to, and are ourselves changed by the world outside the home, but also how we will gain when men become part of, contribute their talents to, and are themselves changed by the world inside the home. We need women and men who lead by example, as Tiffany Dufu does for readers on these pages."—from the Foreword by Gloria Steinem

“Tiffany displays the vision and passion to bring women – and women's groups – together to reach our common goals. She is a star in the world of women.”—-Sheryl Sandberg

"If you could follow a path to a stronger marriage, a happier family, and greater economic and emotional security, would you be interested? I thought so. Tiffany Dufu’s DROP THE BALL is that path. And she’s awfully good company along the way."
—Susan Cain, co-founder of Quiet Revolution and New York Times bestselling author of QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking


"Drop the Ball is what so many women need to do but simply cannot bring themselves to. Tiffany Dufu writes with verve and wit, turning her life story into life lessons for all of us. A marvelous and instructive read!"
—Anne Marie Slaughter, author of Unfinished Business


"Drop the Ball is a must read for all women and girls. Tiffany Dufu reminds us that we must focus on what truly matters and let go of rest. She gives us specific tools and techniques to help us achieve our goals and live authentic lives free of guilt and regret."
—Reshma Saujani, Founder & CEO, Girls Who Code


"In sharing her moving personal story, Tiffany Dufu offers many practical suggestions for women to achieve their goals. But what influenced me the most about this book was the wisdom she imparts to men about how to be better partners in supporting the leadership journeys of the women in their lives. Drop the Ball is a refreshingly honest, remarkably inspiring read.”
—Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take

"Drop the Ball is thought-provoking, authentic storytelling. Through her sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious journey, Tiffany teaches all of us how to create meaningful lives. For women struggling with the demands of doing it all, and the men who love them, this book is refreshing and long overdue."
-Mara Brock Akil, Wife, Mother, and Creator/Showrunner of Girlfriends, The Game,and Being Mary Jane

"Finally, a book on work/life balance that actually answers women's questions about what the hell happens behind closed doors that works, rather than just lamenting that none of it is possible. Drop the Ball is accessible, vulnerable and optimistic."
-Courtney Martin, Entrepreneur, Speaker & Author of The New Better Off: Reinventing the American Dream

"Tiffany Dufu's wise personal story offers real solutions for women who are struggling to be all things to everyone — both at home and at work. I would have loved to have had Tiffany's warm, funny, brilliant voice in my ear when I was getting started in my career and juggling the demands of a growing family. DROP THE BALL is full of useful advice and it is an empowering manifesto for all women looking to lead balanced, happy, successful lives."
—Soledad O'Brien, CEO Starfish Media and host of Matter Of Fact TV

From the Publisher

09/15/2016
Named to Fast Company's League of Extraordinary Women, Dufu argues that by rethinking her expectations, aiming to do less while seeking more help from others, she got more done—and done better.

Library Journal

Tiffany Dufu, an expert on women’s leadership, narrates her compelling invitation to women: Stop trying to do it all, she urges in her pleasantly husky down-to-earth voice—drop the ball so your “all-in” partner can pick up the slack. This act, she argues, will free women to achieve their dreams, ambitions, and full potential, and harnessing this energy will benefit the world. Dufu’s work is grounded in research but made real through the specific success-and-failure stories she shares—her own and others’. Her personal narration makes her thinking especially approachable. She doesn’t sound like a polished actress or a professionally trained narrator—but her real-life voice is more persuasive for it. Dufu's sincerity and passion to help women reach their full potential are compelling and replete with a sense of perspective and humor that make her message most appealing. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2017 - AudioFile