Why Being Shameless, Selfish, and a Little Manipulative Might Be the Best Career Advice You’ll Ever Get

In Wild Courage, a former Google exec explains why ambition needs a rebrand—and how to make bold moves without apology.

“Wait your turn.”

“Stay humble.”

“Let your work speak for itself.”

These maxims sound reasonable—until you realize they’re also a blueprint for staying stuck. Many of us have been conditioned to be agreeable, nonthreatening, and endlessly patient. But nice doesn’t always get you what you want.

After 18 years climbing the ranks at Google—from entry-level to executive—Jenny Wood has learned that the qualities most likely to get you ahead are the ones you’ve probably been taught to hide. Traits like shameless, obsessed, selfish, even manipulative. In her bold new book Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It, Wood flips the script on conventional career advice and gives ambitious people permission to stop playing small.

Below, she shares five unapologetic, empowering insights from the book—and why your next big move might start with embracing what makes people uncomfortable.