When I took Lean In out of the library, I asked the librarian how long I could keep the book. When she said I had to have the book back in two weeks, my eyes must have widened because she asked incredulously, Is two weeks not enough time to read this? So, basically, I read it in two days just to prove to this librarian how quickly I am capable of reading a book. It also helps when you have a half hour every three hours while you’re nursing a baby to be reading and that your husband has a couple days off for the New Years holiday to watch said baby.
For those unaware, Sheryl Sandberg is currently the COO of Facebook and has worked for Google and the United States Treasury. She also has two kids and an MBA from the Harvard School of Business. She’s a competent woman, so I was curious to see what she has to say about the role of women in the workforce. I went in skeptical, since many “liberal” people in the media had raved about the book and I’m used to disagreeing with these pundits.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Sandberg elegantly avoided any contentious issues which, in reality, should really have no bearing on the discussion of women in the workforce. I feel like most “feminists” make a point of pushing abortion and birth control whenever possible and there was no mention of either in the book. Instead, Ms. Sandberg focused on efficient, straightforward ways to make things more fair for women trying to pursue a career. She didn’t want to play the victim, she had no interest in hating men or getting ahead by relying on any sort of affirmative action. She merely wants women’s voices to be heard and for women to be able to make a contribution to corporate America and other places of professional life.
Staying quiet and fitting in may have been all the first generations of women who entered corporate America could do; in some cases, it might still be the safest path. But this strategy is not paying off for women as a group. Instead, we need to speak out, identify the barriers that are holding women back, and find solutions. (pg. 146)
I especially enjoyed her discussion of life with a husband, babies and a high level position. She concedes that she has the luxury of not having to worry about money and that she has a job culture that is conducive to having a family. She argues that in order for women to be able to lean in at the boardroom table, men need to lean in at the dinner table and not be afraid to take over more child raising responsibilities. She continually stresses that a woman’s choice of whether to stay home with her kids or to go back to work after having kids is her choice, but that companies have an interest in making it easier for women to stay in the work force. They can make this possible through more paid maternity leave and flexible schedules that allow women to get home for dinner each night.
What struck me the most was Sandberg’s assertion that it’s probably women, ourselves, who are the most guilty in holding women back. She discussed women’s tendency to not take credit for accomplishments and not communicating things in an efficient manner, but what really got me thinking was her observation that women sometimes won’t take on a big project or even pursue certain careers because of non existent husbands or babies. We’re so focused on the future that we pass up opportunities in the present because of the needs of hypothetical future people. It probably struck a chord with me, since I’m a perfect example of that. After I got my master’s, I didn’t pursue a career in my field since I figured I’d be pregnant soon and I didn’t want to get too invested in a job. As a military spouse, I knew we’d probably be moving soon, so that was additional incentive for me to not spend too much time looking for a great job.
It would be a whole year before we moved and even got pregnant, so I always kind of regret that time I spent just waiting for my life to get started. Sandberg’s ultimate message to women resonated with me: do what you love in the present moment. Whether that be school, pursuing a career, or serving a husband and kids, you should do it with renewed energy and vigor. She rightly claims that to have an education is a gift. Women have a responsibility to women everywhere to use that gift in the best way possible.