How to Be a Likeable Badass with Alison Fragale
Your Working Life with Caroline Dowd-Higgins
Release Date: 06/18/2025
Your Working Life with Caroline Dowd-Higgins
In this episode Caroline interviews Debra Clary, author of the new book The Curiosity Curve: A Leader's Guide to Growth and Transformation through Bold Questions. Clary believes curiosity isn't just a nice-to-have soft skill but a competitive edge that drives agility, innovation and collaboration. Drawing from more than three decades of executive experience, she shows leaders how to turn "quiet quitters" into passionate advocates by creating cultures where structured exploration and bold questioning are woven into daily operations. Learn more about Deb and order her book at . More...
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If you can tell a good story, you can persuade someone of something. That’s the premise of strategic storytelling expert Sally Perkins’s new book, From Story to Action. In this episode, Sally and Caroline talk about how neuroscience research shows well-told stories literally sync the brains of listeners with the storyteller—creating shared experiences that drive decisions and inspire action. More from Sally Perkins: Order Sally’s book and read more about her work at More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to to , check out or .
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In this episode, Caroline interviews Eveline Shen, a social change strategist who teaches leaders how to navigate oppression, adversity, and complex challenges without compromising their values or burning out. In her new book, Choosing to Lead Against the Current: The Courageous Operating System for Changemakers, Shen shares her revolutionary framework for helping leaders cultivate sustainable power, turn setbacks into sources of strength, and redefine success on their own terms. More from Eveline Shen: Order her book and learn more about her work at her website More from Caroline...
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After Steph Wagner experienced financial devastation following an unexpected divorce—despite being financially savvy person—she transformed her pain into purpose, dedicating her career to ensuring other women never feel financially powerless. In her new book, FLY! A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom and Building a Life You Love, Wagner tackles a sobering reality: 80% of women will manage their finances alone at some point, yet half still defer financial planning to partners. Drawing from both her professional expertise and personal journey, she offers women an empowering, tools-based...
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Kate Lowry is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author who has made it her mission to help people not just survive but thrive under toxic leadership. In this episode, Caroline interviews Kate about her new book, Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders, where Lowry explains why domineering, manipulative leadership is making a troubling comeback—and offers tactical strategies for maintaining your autonomy when working under such leaders. Drawing from her own experience growing up in a hierarchical family and working in high-pressure environments at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight...
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What if the key to sparking real innovation isn't unlimited freedom—but strategic constraints? In this episode, Caroline sits down with Sheri Jacobs, author and innovation strategist, to explore this counterintuitive fact: boundaries don't stifle creativity, they fuel it. In her latest book, The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: Rethinking the Rules, Risks, and Real Drivers of Innovation, Sheri challenges conventional wisdom about creativity and shares practical strategies for making innovation a repeatable habit rather than a lucky accident. Through stories from Pixar to polar expeditions,...
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What if the very thing we've been taught drives success is actually holding us back? In this episode, Caroline sits down with Ruchika T. Malhotra, founder of global inclusion strategy firm Candour and author of the groundbreaking new book UNCOMPETE: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success. Ruchika challenges one of the workplace's most fundamental assumptions: that competition is necessary for excellence. Drawing on her extensive work with major corporations, insights from business leaders, and cutting-edge research, she makes a compelling case that our obsession with competing is actually...
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In this episode, Caroline interviews Jaime Goff about her new book The Secure Leader: Discover the Hidden Forces that Shape Your Leadership Story - and How To Change Them. Jaime argues that effective modern leadership requires more than mastering techniques—it demands deep self-understanding. Drawing on attachment theory and psychology, Goff shows how leaders' emotional blueprints shape their behaviors and offers a transformative framework for deconstructing and reauthoring their narratives to lead with authenticity and purpose. The book provides practical guidance on integrating emotional...
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When a woman moves into a leadership position at work, she is much more likely to burnout, be depressed and face different criticism than her male colleagues. It's something author Meghan French Dunbar experienced herself, and why she wrote her new book,This Isn't Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success. Meghan interviewed leaders like Eileen Fisher and former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario to reveal why contemporary business culture disproportionately harms women and causes epidemic levels of burnout. Rather than asking women to "lean in harder,"...
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Muriel Wilkins is a leadership coach, Harvard Business Review podcast host, and author whose new book Leadership Unblocked tackles the unconscious beliefs that prevent leaders from reaching their full potential. Caroline and Muriel talk about the hidden "blockers"—such as "I know I'm right" and "I need to be involved"—that cause common leadership frustrations, and how leaders can recognize when the problem isn't their team or circumstances, but their own mindset. More from Muriel Wilkins: Buy Muriel's book: Follow Muriel on and . More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to to ,...
info_outlineAlison Fragle episode:
Distances by Beat Mekanik (source: Free Music Archive) (CC BY)
ALISON FRAGALE, PhD
Speaker. Professor. Compulsive Organizer.
Website www.alisonfragale.com
Newsletter alisonfragale.substack.com
ALISON FRAGALE is the Mary Farley Ames Lee Distinguished Scholar of Organizational Behavior at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. Her scholarship has been published in the most prestigious academic journals in her field, and featured in prominent media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Boston Globe, and Inc. She is the author of the book, Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve, published by Penguin Random House on September 3, 2024. A sought-after keynote speaker and trusted advisor, she lives in Chicago with her family.
Questions/topics to discuss:
- What is the difference between power and status? Why is status more important?
- What is the definition of a Likeable Badass and why is it the key to managing your status?
- You believe “don’t worry about what other people think of you” is bad advice. Why should we care?
- What are some of the limiting mindsets that have a negative impact on someone’s status?
- How does status affect your ability to be paid your worth or promoted at work?
- What are “other promoters” and how can someone get more of them?
- In the book, you share dozens of likeable badass tactical approaches. Can you share a few of your favorites?
- What do you hope readers will learn from this book?
Book promo info:
A science-backed, easy-to-implement playbook for getting the respect, power, and influence you’re due, even when the odds are stacked against you.
Throughout my years of research, speaking gigs, and mentoring, I’ve been bombarded with questions from women of all stripes — from rising stars to those in the C-suite. How do we get credit for both likeability and competence? How can we get the recognition we deserve, negotiate like a boss, and navigate the intricate dance of office politics without losing our sanity or the respect of our peers?
Well, my friends, the answers are here, and they’re served up in Likeable Badass. Based on my twenty years of work studying power, status, and perceptions, I know one thing is true: No fancy title, degree or achievement is going to get us the rewards we deserve if it doesn’t impact how others perceive us. So, I’m pulling back the curtain on decades of science to reveal what all successful women have in common — they have found their unique way to show up as a likeable badass. All we need to do is follow their lead.
Yes, I’m a professor, but this book is not a dry, academic read. It’s a delightful blend of behavioral science and life hacks — think of it as your secret weapon for conquering the workplace. I’ve woven together solid research, practical advice, and kick-ass stories from a diverse group of women who’ve paved their own paths to success.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, Likeable Badass is your go-to guide for evidence-based strategies, sprinkled with a dash of inspiration and humor. It’s not just a book; it’s your ticket to a fulfilling career and a seat at the table.
Endorsement:
“The ultimate guide for women to achieve their goals. Drawing on her brilliant research and extensive experience, Alison Fragale reveals how to overcome the tradeoff between likeability and competence. But it’s not just for women—it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to be a better colleague, mentor, parent, or partner to half the population.” —Adam Grant
Social media:
- Substack: The Upper Hand with Alison Fragale
- TikTok
- Hashtag - #LikeableBadass