The current COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, has been touted as one of the 5 most powerful women in the world (much to her surprise!). Whether that appointment was a bit of a stretch or not, she has clearly been in powerful positions in large organizations. She has stood up for herself and “had it all” professionally and personally, which is often treated as a myth that women can never achieve. Her book “Lean In” reviews the advice she has received along the way, revealing some of her own failings towards achievement, and includes her own advice as well.
As a young woman already interested in social movements and gender studies, I researched many of the ideas Sandberg raised in this book. However, he had never seen some of them take aim so directly and personally at a woman’s perspective. Sheryl Sandberg allowed her personal examples to give a real connection to her ideas. I found myself nodding my head in many of the early chapters where she talks about women’s propensity to downplay their abilities, dismiss their achievements, and avoid opportunities to advance out of fear.
She urges everyone to start by being more honest about their personal lives or their feelings in the workplace, and true to her word, she does so herself throughout the book. It is extremely refreshing to hear that a woman who is at the top has the same insecurities. She doesn’t think this book is limited to complaining about gender bias or unfair practices in the workplace. These are briefly highlighted where appropriate for the reader to examine how they affect job interviews, negotiations, teamwork, and more. Sandberg goes further with discussions of real solutions that have worked for her or other women. She explains what the pitfalls were and provides steps that can help overcome them.
I appreciate that Sandberg has acknowledged, without blame, that women can increase the glass ceiling by also believing in the stereotypes that others have about them. In a way, this involves looking at how men react in a certain way or how they are treated and finding ways to reflect that. In others, she describes methods that women can even use gender stereotypes and prejudices to find the best approach to achieve their goals.
Some readers may be upset that women are being told to walk a tightrope, but that anger needs to be directed at the system. Currently, most women are already doing this, it’s just that their rope is very short because they feel that there is no incentive to be more ambitious. If more of us (who are legitimately interested) make progress moving up in big business, there will be more consideration for women in business and less need to conform. This will even open up opportunities for women who are motivated in areas other than senior management or corporate life.
In “Lean In,” Sheryl Sandberg simply provides the encouragement and suggestions to help you get where you want to be. This book is most specifically for women in business, but I truly believe that men and women can benefit from its insights regardless of their personal ambitions. This is a must read and a must share!
