Empowering women to Lean In to their careers

This is one book that every woman, be she a career woman or otherwise might want to read. And not just women, but men too for the benefit of their women colleagues and friends, daughters, siblings and most importantly their significant other. 

Here is why, for one, Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, has looked at why the ratio of women in leadership positions in organizations is dismally lower than that of men in such positions. She traces this back to why women, either aren't aspiring for leadership positions or are not able to grow to such levels in organizations. In doing so, she looks at the cultural angle, research backed data on women's traits and its impact on their careers, shares her own experiences at various stages of her career and life and draws out recommendations on what can enable women to Lean In to their careers.

The language is lucid, experiences and recommendations candid, writing laced with humor, keeps the reader glued till the finish.

Here are a few random snippets from the book, that might enthuse you to pick the book next. While all of them might not relate commonly to all readers, certainly helps gain a perspective of the wider phenomenon.

• Culturally for men, the fundamental assumption is that they can have a successful professional life and a fulfilling personal life, whereas for women, the basic assumption is, it can only be either this or that and trying to do both is difficult if not impossible. Whereas a university research shows, women playing multiple roles, do stand to gain in terms of better mental well being, stable marriages and greater life satisfaction. In bringing out such messages, the author has kept the tempo extremely balanced, without offending either side of the sections - career women, and women who have opted to stay home and nurture their family, given that's an extremely personal choice that deserves a lot of respect.
• When you don't feel confident, sometimes it just helps to fake it. Say, when you have a lousy day, force yourself to smile and just after sometime of forced smiling, you're likely to feel better. One study has found that, when people assume a high-power pose, say by taking up space by spreading their limbs, even for two minutes, they're bound to feel more confident, less stressed and in control of the situation. So, fake it, whenever needed :-).
• Opportunities are rarely offered, they're mostly seized. In today's world, not many bosses have the time to evaluate all applicants for a job and much less have the time to convince reticent employees to play the role. Typically opportunities come from someone springing up to do something, then that something becomes his job. Interesting. Its hard to visualize someone as a leader if he or she is always waiting to be told what to do.
• By and large women tend to negotiate less than men. For the same job, its quite likely that a women is paid lesser than a man.
• Learning to withstand criticism is a necessity for women. Apparently Mark told Sheryl "When you want to change things, you can’t please everyone. If you do please everyone, you aren’t making enough progress"
• Women need to be more open to taking risks in their careers. Look at your career as a Jungle-Gym and not a ladder. Be open to picking up jobs in different functions that offer growth. The only criterion that should matter while picking a new role/job is fast growth. Facebook, promotes the culture of risk-taking among its employees. This is reflected in the posters hung in FB offices, the best of which reads - "What would you do, if you weren't afraid?".
• Success and likability are positively correlated for men, whereas when a woman is successful or pushy, people of both genders tend to like her less. 
• Employees who concentrate on results and impact are the most valuable. Taking risks, choosing growth, challenging ourselves, and asking for promotions are all important elements of managing a career. The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.
• Anyone wanting to scale the corporate ladder will need to find both mentors ( people who would advise) and sponsors (people who will use their influence to advocate). Today, with more men in leadership positions, and with men naturally seeing their own younger selves in junior men, tend to mentor junior men than women. Junior women and senior men often avoid engaging in mentoring or sponsoring relationships out of fear of what others might think. This needs to change.   
• Authentic communication is the basis for all successful relationships, both at work and at home. Effective communication starts with the understanding that there is my point of view (my truth) and someone else’s point of view ( his truth). Rarely is there one absolute truth, so people who believe that they speak the truth are very silencing of others. When we recognize that we can see things only from our own perspective, we can share our views in a non-threatening way. 
• Asking direct feedback has many benefits. Solicit ideas from every corner.
• Humor can be an amazing tool for delivering an honest message in a good-natured way. A recent study has found that “sense of humor” was the phrase most frequently used to describe the most effective leaders.
• Most women believe, and research suggests- that its not a good idea to cry at work. But that’s okay. Sharing emotions builds deeper relationships. Motivation comes from working on things that we care about and working with people we care about. Emotion drives both men and women and influences every decision we make.
• Being professional needn't mean keeping the personal life separate and not talking 'bout it at work. Professional decisions are indeed influenced by personal lives.
• Just the way we need more women to lean in to their careers, more men need to lean in their homes. Men need to be more empowered at home and with children.
• Trying to do it all and expecting that it all can be done exactly right is a recipe for disappointment. Perfection is the enemy. You cant do it all. Decide what matters the most and be a perfectionist in only such things.” Done is better than perfect”.

While these are just to get you started, the book itself makes a wholesome, engaging and enlightening read.