The Mirrored Door: Overcoming the Hidden Barrier That Leaves Successful Women Locked in Place

Unlock what’s blocking your career, and open the door to new opportunity

At some point in their careers, many women encounter the mirrored door--the place where, when presented with opportunities, we reflect inward and hesitate, and deem we’re not ready or worthy enough to move forward, whether that is to raise our hands or go for the next role.
But there is a way to break through, and to overcome the gendered expectations that girls and women internalize over our lifetimes that create a hidden barrier that keeps us from reaching our full potential.

Drawing on research, stories from her own career, and those of her students and the mid-late career women she has coached, Professor Ellen Taaffe explains why the five perils of success--being prepared to perfection, eager to please, trying to fit the mold, pushing too hard, and patiently performing and expecting rewards to follow--get us to a certain level, and then may prevent our taking the next step in our careers as expectations rise. She offers a new, empowering framework for navigating the challenges of the workplace with more awareness and expertise.

With a firm grounding in research, Taaffe teaches us about the realities of the workplace, how it influences perceptions of women, and what we can do to overcome the distorted self-reflections that ultimately hold us back.

A former Fortune 50 senior executive turned board director and professor, Taaffe is on a mission for women to have more seats and voices at the table of workplace decisions. In The Mirrored Door, she guides us to assess ourselves and our situations realistically so that we can take charge of our career success and take the lead in our lives.

Ellen Connelly Taaffe is an expert in women’s corporate leadership strategies with 25 years of executive brand management experience in diverse Fortune 500 companies. In her current role as Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Women’s Leadership Program at the Kellogg School of Management--and in her

further work as a board director, executive coach, and speaker--Taaffe inspires up-and-coming women in business to push past self-doubt toward the high-level roles they deserve.