Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer at Facebook and former VP of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google, has written a book that addresses the issue of gender inequality in the workplace. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead uniquely examines, through personal reflection, research data, and practical examples why few women hold leadership roles in the workplace. She offers advice to women, how they can change themselves, by leaning in, to gain ground in any pursuit. Sandberg tackles external barriers women face (barriers created by society) but the majority of the book is focused on internal barriers (barriers within you) that hold countless women back from stepping up to lead. These barriers, Sandberg believes, women themselves must get rid of in order to reach the pinnacle of their career. The book takes a surprising, yet inspiring approach to encourage women to be all they can be. I was motivated to add this book to my reading list because my research interests are heavily focused on women at work and the challenges they face to balance work and life. However, after reading this book, I am more equipped to pursue my dreams. This paper provides a review of the book and offers an overall assessment of the relevance of the book for those interested in gender in management.
The start of this book attributes the disparity between men and women in leadership positions to previous generations and the culture associated with years passed. For example, Sandberg reflects on her grandmother and mother's generation, where women kept a “proper home” and men carried the financial responsibilities. Despite little importance on girl's and women's education during those generations, both Sandberg's grandmother and mother graduated from college. Regardless of their college degrees, both stayed at home, raised a family, and volunteered. Sandberg's generation, a time that encouraged women to work, still struggle tremendously to balance work and home. Women who want to work are plagued with guilt for choosing to work. This deters many women from climbing to the top of the corporate ladder, and with each passing generation, the gap of leadership ambition between men and women widened.
Although society has not encouraged women to lean in, Sandberg is. She advises women of all ages to abandon their fears and choose a career, have a family, or both, fearlessly. Facebook has established a culture that encourages risk taking. Organizations can take on this same motto, and as more women become CEOs and leaders Sandberg insists, it is worth the risk.
The barriers women face often do not encourage them to speak up and lead, but Sandberg believes women have the power within themselves to take the lead. The following chapters of the book attest to the importance of sitting at the table, being successful even if you are not liked, realizing a career path may not be in ladder form, seeking out mentorship in the appropriate way, and finding your truth. In the chapter “sit at the table”, women are asked to put themselves in situations where they can be seen and heard. There was a situation used in the book where Sandberg was in a board room and the other women she was with sat behind the table. Immediately this gave men more power, a louder voice. Sandberg urges women to sit at the table in all situations and engage in the conversation. In “success and likeability”, a common trend is for women to sacrifice success to be liked. Thus, many women downplay their achievements and abilities to protect themselves from being disliked. Men, on the other hand, do the opposite. Most men claim their success, while women hide from it. Sandberg advises if women can come to accept that they are powerful, and no longer negotiate between being liked and being successful, then the gender gap can be narrowed.
Next, this book challenges the idea that a career path means climbing up a ladder. In today's society, women may need to move laterally, leave the workforce, and come back into the workforce. Instead of thinking about career as a path where you climb up the ladder, the book refers to careers as being jungle gyms. The idea is that women in particular, need to structure their career that best suits their life, and this could look different for each of us. Sandberg's emphasis on the jungle gym stems from the possibility that if women have the ability to navigate their career in a way where pit stops, jump offs, and down climbs are available, then the greater opportunity for more women lean in for leadership positions. Also, many advances and promotions come from having a network of supporters. Sandberg believes mentoring is a way in which you know you have made it. Many women seek out a mentor, which is not a bad thing. But Sandberg takes the notion of mentoring a step further and suggests that “the strongest relationships spring out of a real and often earned connection felt by both sides.” In other words, women must not wait to pursue their dreams until they have found someone to help lead the way, they must act first, lead the way, earn the connection, and become a mentor to others.
The final sections of the book reflect the importance of truth and help from others when encouraging women to fearlessly reach for the top of any pursuit. Truth, unique to each of us, is the essential driving force behind women's will to lead. Sandberg stresses authentic communication as a means to gain ground at work. Even if women are thinking of having a child, Sandberg believes they do not need to leave their job before they are “ready to leave”. Sacrifice and hard work in a career years before having a child does not need to go to waste because women have children. But when women do leave, the leadership gap remains. Also, she pinpoints the necessity for women to have a partner that can share in the home responsibilities and support career pursuits. Sandberg has experienced this support from her husband David Goldberg (SurveyMonkey CEO), and her reflection is it has made a world of difference. Lastly, the idea that “having it all” is a myth society, and women particularly, have grown to hold true. However, Sandberg stresses that none of us can have it all, because each day, each of us must constantly make sacrifices for what is important. Perfection, then, is not attainable and striving to have it all can actually hold women back instead of propelling them to the top.
This book provides a platform to talk about the issue of gender inequality in the workplace. Although women have more opportunities today than in generations past, Sandberg is hoping women will begin to take full advantage of those opportunities. For scholars and practitioners interested in gender in management, this book is a great resource, as it full of useful data that supports the disparity of women in leadership positions. Also, the “real life” examples and experiences of women working across the globe in different industries may provide a deeper insight for those managers who aim to connect with and encourage their female employees to fill leadership roles. The book is universal, no matter where you live, where you work, or your family situation. The underlying theme for this book is to be everything you can be, reach for your dreams, and rid yourself of the internal barriers that hold you back.
Overall, the book takes a unique approach to tell Sandberg's journey to the top. Included are all of the doubts, pit stops and issues she experienced, which most working women can relate to. The book may also serve as a tool to get the conversation started between employers and employees with regards to leaning in. For women, this book is full of advice that can help in achieving both professional and personal fulfillment. Also, for men, Lean In can help provide guidance to being a better supporter of women in the workplace. The theme of it taking everyone to make this world more equal is intertwined throughout the book.
Sandberg is in the position to begin the conversation on the lack of women leaning in. She is a multi-millionaire and the female “face” of Facebook. A possible criticism of this book is that Sandberg has the financial means to balance work and family life, without the difficult choices most women must make concerning the two. However, it is the privileged position Sandberg holds and her experience as a female leader in the workplace that provides her the platform and responsibility to write about and openly discuss the issue of gender inequality at work. I believe Sandberg does an excellent job to reach many different women by reflecting back to when she was not the COO of Facebook. She describes some of her most embarrassing and vulnerable moments. At the end, it is clear she is human, she has and does struggle with a career and family life, but along the way, she has gained enough wisdom and bravery to put it all down on paper; with one goal, to encourage women to lean in and be the best they can be in all of the things they can do. After reading this book, I am encouraged to lean in and to pursue my dreams fearlessly.
