Book Review: The Velvet Hammer

The Velvet Hammer: PowHERful Leadership Lessons for Women Who Don't Golf  by Elaine Allison

The subtitle of the book says it all – this book is written to energize and provide actionable solutions for ambitious women navigating the often male-dominated leadership roles. 

Admittedly, both the title and cover art could use a revamp if you ask me. After receiving this book through our corporate library delivery, I brought it on an airplane an immediately felt uncomfortable, as if I were reading a harlequin romance novel, even though I was in my suit on the way to a business meeting. The cover image is a pair of woman’s legs in stockings and heels, standing in front of six pairs of matching men’s slacks and shoes.  With the primary title “The Velvet Hammer” in large purple and black cursive letters, the subtitle defining the book felt quite hidden. I thought perhaps it was my odd personal perspective, but after opening the book on my couch at home, my husband instinctively had the same response. 

Cover judgment aside, I had to dive in to see what Allison had to say – the first literal example of not judging a book by its cover I have ever confronted.

Reading it through, the early chapters provide a little food for thought around the differences between men and women in the workplace with some simplistic traces back to the hunter and gatherer days. Recognizing not all generalizations are true for all people, it provides a baseline for those who may have not formerly heard how and why men may perceive women as “scattered” when women self-recognize the trait as “strong multitasker.” 

If you are new to the working world or a young leader, it may be interesting to peruse the brief overviews about different personality types and how to connect with opposites. The book is an easy read and provides basic and manageable steps for things like goal setting and aligning your team, but doesn’t have quite the experience level or uniquely “only executive woman at the board room table” as expected based on the title. The workbook style activities were very short and simple – far less valuable for those deeper into a corporate career or who have historically taken deeper dives into things like StrengthsFinder. 

Some of the material doesn’t seem to flow, and there are chapters with personal anecdotes followed by chapters of generic material out of any leadership book. At one point, the author lists a technique to resolve conflict: “It doesn’t matter if you are right; it only matters if you can find a third way.” This section is then filled with an anecdote about her mother-in-law smoking in the cabin while the Allison herself is highly asthmatic. Not only does Allison ignore the opportunity to confront her mother in law, but there is no “third-way” option in sight… I had to reread the section to be sure I wasn’t missing something but alas… it never tied back. Two techniques later it rounded back out with connectivity to “third-way options” but it felt too little too late. 

As a woman in an industry where business is still quite literally done on the golf course regularly, I was intrigued by the title to find methods of connecting with male C-suite executives in ways other than finishing and golf. Unfortunately, I’m not sure the topic of golf was even mentioned within the pages of the book. 

My Conclusion?
Not a recommendation from my side of the table. In fact, the most valuable piece to me was the two-page appendix section with a list of women’s organizations, resources and websites. 

Has anybody else read this book, and did you have similar takeaways?