The full force of author Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” movement was on display in late July at the Facebook campus in Menlo Park, Calif., where more than 300 professionals gathered to hear her talk about breaking down gender biases that hurt women at home and in the workplace.
The event, which included an interview with Facebook COO Sandberg and questions from the audience, is part of a series called “Leaning In,” hosted by PwC, a multinational financial services and consulting agency. The forums, which are broadcast live online, are intended to spur a global conversation about the advancement of women in the workforce and tear down stereotypes, fears and misconceptions that persist.
According to Sandberg and her book (full title “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,”) there aren’t enough women in leadership roles, and there never will be until businesses, governments and families start having an honest dialogue about the way businesses consistently reward men while discouraging women.
“This is about women having the same voice as men,” said Sandberg, mother of two and a former Google executive.
Only girls get called “bossy,” Sandberg said. But a woman who shows confidence and drive at work is actually “ambitious,” not “bossy. After all, Sandberg said, isn’t that what high-powered men are called?
Best-selling statement
The emergence of the “Lean In” phenomenon over the past few months is nothing short of amazing. What started as a book released to a highly skeptical audience quickly became a top-seller on the New York Times’ list and Amazon. The book also spawned a nonprofit organization backed by Fortune 500 companies, and the phrase “lean in” that might find its way into the Urban Dictionary.
Sandberg’s message is sort of a feminist manifesto for the modern businesswoman: Women should “lean in” to their careers, embracing ambition and resisting the tendency to hold back.
What the July event proved, though, was that the “Lean In” movement also resonates with men.
PwC Chairman Bob Moritz, who interviewed Sandberg and moderated the event, has instituted a number of programs inspired by “Lean In,” to encourage more women to climb the ranks of leadership. Moritz said CEOs in all businesses should start the “lean in” conversation at their own companies to help their workforce reach its full potential. The audience also included many men from a spectrum of businesses.
Despite its quick rise as a best-seller, the book has been plenty controversial, eliciting a range of responses from praise to snarky critiques to hostile criticism. But four months after it hit store shelves, “Lean In” has become much more than a controversial book — it’s an effort to reinvigorate the women’s movement. And if these talks are any indication, there are enough followers and high-profile leaders and enough money involved to keep the effort alive for the foreseeable future.
Worldwide audience
The “Lean In” nonprofit organization (www.leanin.org) quickly built a library of free education materials that explain the social institutions that prevent women from reaching their full potential and how to deconstruct them, and has helped dozens of companies organize “circles,” or groups of employees who meet to share their struggles and explore ways to create a workplace atmosphere that is more accepting of ambitious women.
Exactly how far Sandberg, 43, takes “Lean In” is anyone’s guess. She already has spread her message on a globe-trotting book tour — across the U.S. and to Asia and Africa. A woman in the audience told Sandberg she was from Paris and she knew women back home were watching the live-broadcast event, nodding in agreement.
There has been much speculation about how Sandberg might leverage her “Lean In” success for her next career move. The popular rumor is that she will run for office, although Sandberg has been mum on any political ambitions. As for now, Forbes ranks her as the sixth-most powerful woman in the world — up from No. 10 last year.
But Sandberg deflects questions about her plans, saying only that she loves her job at Facebook, and will stay there for a while anyway — leaning in.
Image Courtesy – CNN
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