Beta can be better at work

BETA by Rebecca Holman, published by Hodder & Stoughton, R358

BUSINESS books are a dime a dozen but this one is a little different as it celebrates the Beta rather than the Alpha – and, what’s more, the advantages of being a Beta woman in the workplace.

Sub-titled Quiet Girls Can Run the World, author Rebecca Holman hopes to show working women that there is more than one way to be the boss.

Holman reminds us that the stereotype of a successful female is often that she is the shout-the-loudest, dogmatic, gym-at-the-crack-of-dawn, workaholic boss lady where “Alpha has become shorthand for hardcore”.

However, she maintains not only is it unhealthy to work and live like this, it may not even be the most effective way to get ahead in your career.

With fun titles for chapters, such as “Fake it till You Make it”; “Unravelling My Imposter Syndrome”; “Burnout: A Modern Malaise”, “Be the Robin to her Batman: How to Deal with your Alpha Boss”, and “Shoulder Pads are Bull***t”, she whips through the world of work.

It’s an accessible read on how to make the most of the quiet qualities that are often unrecognised but vital to a constructive work environment.

Although an enjoyable look at the subject, its price tag of R358 is a little steep for what it offers as a pop-culture overview rather than a solidly researched “how to” manual. – Gillian McAinsh