5Monday Morning Leadership for Women is a treasure of timely insights and action plans that can advance any woman. The practical and refreshing guidance shared between an emerging leader and her mentor are essential for leaders at any level. Valerie acknowledges it was fun writing the story as a dialogue between a mentor (Suzanne) and her mentee (Taylor). The story line is about Taylor who is struggling in her first management role. Suzanne, a leader at the top of her game, offers to meet with Taylor for eight Monday morning mentoring sessions at Starbucks. The eight chapter topics are those that consistently challenge all leaders - such as staying focused, handling conflict, dealing with the waves of change, prioritizing, and people management, among others. After each session Taylor leaves with her "to do" list and is accountable to Suzanne for debriefing at their next meeting. Written conversationally with vivid stories and keen insights, this book is interwoven with the human side of business including the age old difficulty of work/life balance. Valerie's inspiration came from over 25 years coaching women leaders in Fortune 500 organizations. Currently, this quick read and handy tool is being utilized within company mentor and leadership programs including BB&T, Exelon Corporation and Verizon. and handy tool is being utilized within company mentor and leadership programs including BB&T, Exelon Corporation and Verizon.