Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead

Genre: Non-Fiction

I gave this book ***

This is not a story but Sandberg’s call to action of women round the world to take on leadership positions in the workplace because, she reasons, doing so would, a. propel women to move past being seen as less-than their male counterparts and, b. it will open the door and improve conditions for all women in the work place. She does a good job covering all the reasons why women might choose not to climb the proverbial ladder but still emphasizes the importance of “sitting at the table” and owning who we are and making our presence known. Using anecdotes, social research studies and her own experiences (she is very candid about her marriage, motherhood and career) she gives a picture of the importance of women choosing to lean in and focus on their careers.

There are a few parts I liked in this book: one is that the expression “climbing the corporate ladder” is no longer relevant, but what is more fitting is describing it as a jungle gym. One can come off on one side and choose to climb up the other, or choose to climb from the bottom to reach the top, etc. The point is that there are many ways to reach our professional goals. I also liked Sandberg's emphasis on having an equal relationship with your partner where each supports the other to achieve family, personal and career goals.

That said, I didn’t particularly enjoy reading this book as I found it repetitive and not entirely engaging. I also kept going back to the part where she describes a common phenomenon in some women leaders as vacillating between being super confident and utterly devoid of confidence. She flippantly says that these women, “Fake it until they make it!” Having worked for at least one woman like that, I can attest that behavior like that creates an unprofessional and uncomfortable work environment, to say the least. If you are in a leadership role, you must own it! All that said, I do not want to diminish the importance of this book (as I believe that it is movements like this that have brought women into the 21st century and all that that entails), but I can safely and confidently say that working for a boss, woman or man, who came to work, did their job, appreciated their employees doing their job and worked hard to create a productive environment was the most important factor in a good workplace for me. The thing I take away from this book is how important it is to lean in and do a good job, whether that job is in a leadership capacity, any professional endeavor, or anything in my personal life.