Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead

I found this book inspiring and recommend it as a must read for every woman. Sheryl Sandberg draws from her own experiences and observations to explore why there aren’t more women in corporate leadership positions – and what can be done to change that. She describes how women inadvertently limit themselves by pulling back when they should be leaning in.

Sandberg says that staying quiet and fitting in may have worked for the first generations of women in corporate America, but this strategy is not paying off for women as a group. She encourages women to take a seat at the table, speak up, take risks, challenge themselves, and hold their own against the men. She is annoyed when media refer to her as the female COO of Facebook. She asks would they refer to a man as the male COO of Facebook?

Women have come a long way in the workplace, but gender bias still exists. Some of this is coming from the women themselves. Sandberg encourages women to make the life they want for themselves, and not to feel guilty about the choices they make to balance work and family. She makes it clear that balance doesn’t mean being all things to all people – the impossible quest to be the perfect wife, mother, and employee.

The book is filled with humor and stories from various aspects of her work and personal life. One story relates a question and answer session held after one of her speeches. She told the group she had time for only 2 more questions. After the 2nd question, all the women put their hands down. There were still many hands in the air, so she decided to answer a few more questions. Only afterwards did she realize what had happened. The women had ‘followed the rules’ and put down their hands, while the men pressed on – and got their questions answered.