About

About The Author

Lakisha Ann Woods is a CEO, board member, Chair of the American Society of Association Executives Foundation (ASAE), and a global thought leader who frequently speaks about the importance of female leadership and equity. Having spent much of her career in leadership positions representing the construction industry, she considers diversifying the workforce and elevating and celebrating female and diverse leaders to be a critical mission and passion project.

A self-proclaimed military brat, her father’s service in the U.S. Air Force brought the family around the world and taught her to adapt quickly. She is a keynote speaker and has participated on panels at numerous national and international industry events. Lakisha holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland in College Park and lives with her supportive husband and daughter in Howard County, Maryland

About The Book

Never Get Their Coffee is a call to action. It is a challenge for young girls and women to be proud to see themselves as the CEOs of tomorrow, and to stop apologizing for wanting normal things. However, this book isn’t just for women—it’s for anyone who wants to shape the future behavior and thought patterns of men and women. It’s for anyone who recognizes that telling girls and young women to strive to lead provides a societal benefit to all of us, regardless of gender. This book is calling all moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, bosses, and co-workers. It’s a reminder that if we treat everyone as equals and recognize that women can aim high and should be in leadership, we can change the world.

Excerpts from the book

I have given advice to many professionals, both younger and older, who would ask me to lunch or coffee to seek specific guidance or strategies for their own professional growth. My number one recommendation is to channel your inner confidence. I stand by that advice, but I can see why so many women struggle with confidence in a world where you face a negative reaction from nearly any choice you make.
● When you exhibit confidence, they take it as bossy.
● When you are more generous and giving, you’re considered weak.
● When you have a new idea, people focus on how it can fail instead of on how it can succeed.

Excerpt 2

Women all over the world are starting to realize en masse that it’s okay to want more and, in this case, “more” simply means they are seeking what men have had since the beginning of time: a seat at the table.

Excerpt 3

Girls are taught over and over again to be nice, patient, and polite, and women are expected to put their self-interests second because it’s “the right thing to do.” The training starts while we are young.

Excerpt 4

Never Get Their Coffee is a metaphor for being aware of the pitfalls of putting women in stereotypically female roles. Women in leadership should not be expected to perform administrative tasks just because they are women, and they certainly should not put themselves in those types of situations voluntarily.

Chapters of the Book

Chapter 1: It’s Bigger Than Coffee
Chapter 2: You Deserve It, Please Stop Apologizing
Chapter 3: I Am Who You Made Me
Chapter 4: The Dirty Secret: Image IS Everything
Chapter 5: Communication Skills are Key
Chapter 6: Leading in a Time of Crisis
Chapter 7: Drinks with the Boys
Chapter 8: Unconscious Bias
Chapter 9: It’s All About the Laws
Chapter 10: Did You Make the Ask?
Chapter 11: Leading as a Woman of Color
Chapter 12: Practice Wellness