Book Review & Giveaway: 'Female Firebrands' by Mikaela Kiner - Are Toxic Workplaces Fixable?

By Amy Lee

Toxic workplaces which failed to hold bad behaviour accountable leaves misogynistic traits unresolved and women feeling these challenges were theirs to resolve alone.
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In her book, Female Firebrands, Mikaela Kiner explains how business leaders and male advocates can apply her toolkits to reframe and reclaim these workplaces.

Kiner candidly opens with her own difficulties and self-doubts in dealing with negative feedback and double standards which she experienced at the executive level. Her authentic voice in sharing her vulnerabilities is refreshing. She defines a “female firebrand” as a “mission driven woman who stands up and speaks up for herself and others”.

In Part One (‘Face to Face with the Firebrands’), the author shows how thirteen female trail blazers rewrote the rules. A compelling anecdote was by Cheryl Ingram, CEO and Founder of Diverse City and Inclusology. She learnt to walk away from clients who were not ready to engage in “hard conversations”.  The courage to say no is powerful and understated.

Part Two (‘Firebrands Go Face to Face with the Issues’) addresses unconscious bias and white privilege in the realm of diversity and inclusion; HR’s responsibility in addressing #MeToo; the ugliness of female rivalry and work-life balance challenges.  Although these are well-versed debates, Kiner is surgical in setting  the pathway forward. She provides useful checklists and action items which each individual and business leader can take to make meaningful changes in the workplace.

She explains HR’s perceived failure to investigate sexual harassment claims uncovers deeper organisational problems, such as an organisation’s preference to “protect” high performers and unsupportive leaders.

Kiner passionately argues that each personnel can fix their organisation at all levels. These include: becoming an “upstander”, i.e.,  proactively recognising and speaking up against unwanted behaviour on behalf of others and executives changing the workplace culture by rewarding those who champion and mentor female employees. 

We also need to better understand the uncomfortable truth of female rivalry. These factors include: women being held to a higher standard; outdated stereotypes, generational biases against women’s competence and the perceived “capped” executive roles for women.  She  calls on women to end these rivalries and to unite. 

Female Firebrands is a practical compendium, particularly helpful for self diagnosis and check-ins after important meetings. An interesting follow-up to Kiner’s work would be to workshop these checklists and guides with readers and practitioners to identify gaps and additional support mechanisms. 

About Mikaela Kiner:
Mikaela Kiner is a certified executive coach, and is an experienced consultant. In 2015, Mikaela founded Reverb, a leading provider of innovative HR services for startups and growing companies in the Pacific Northwest. An HR leader for nearly twenty years, Kiner enjoys coaching leaders at all levels and helping companies build healthy, inclusive cultures. She's been quoted in Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal and The Muse, and is a member of the Forbes Human Resources Council. 

A Book Giveaway:
Subscribe to the Reverb Newsletter and you could be the lucky winner of a copy of Female Firebrands! A winner will be notified by email on ​June 11 2021. Must be over 18 years of age and open to US residents only:
reverbpeople.com/femalefirebrands/