Leadership and ManagementExecutive Leadership

1. Sit at the Table
2. Summary: Women often undervalue themselves and refrain from taking opportunities. Sandberg illustrates this with the story of a colleague who didn’t sit at the main table during a meeting, not recognizing her own importance.
3. Example: Despite being competent, women are socialized to be modest, causing them to underestimate their abilities and contributions.

4. Actionable Step: Practice confidence-building techniques, such as speaking up in meetings and volunteering for projects beyond one’s comfort zone. Encourage other women by inviting them to the table and recognizing their contributions.

5. Success and Likability

6. Summary: Women face a “likability penalty” where successful women are often less liked, whereas successful men are more liked.
7. Example: Sandberg cites the Heidi/Howard study showing identical resumes were received differently based on the gender of the name, with “Heidi” seen as less likable and more self-serving.

8. Actionable Step: Women should balance assertiveness with compassion, finding ways to be authoritative while maintaining relationships. Organizations should raise awareness of these biases and create inclusive leadership training.

9. Mentorship and Sponsorship

10. Summary: Finding mentors and sponsors is essential for career growth. However, Sandberg notes that women are less likely to receive this support compared to men.
11. Example: She shares her own experiences of benefiting from strong mentors and the story of how Facebook COO position offered to her by Mark Zuckerberg changed her career trajectory.

12. Actionable Step: Actively seek mentors and sponsors through networking and by clearly expressing career ambitions. Organizations should facilitate formal mentoring programs and ensure they are accessible to women at all levels.

13. Make Your Partner a Real Partner

14. Summary: Gender roles at home often prevent women from taking on leadership roles at work. Sandberg argues for a more equitable distribution of household responsibilities.
15. Example: She talks about how her husband, Dave Goldberg, shared household duties, giving her the ability to focus on her career.

16. Actionable Step: Negotiate household responsibilities with partners and encourage open communication about career and personal goals. Organizations can support this transition by implementing family-friendly policies such as parental leave.

17. Don’t Leave Before You Leave

18. Summary: Women often make career concessions in anticipation of future family demands, even if those demands are years away.
19. Example: Sandberg speaks about women who start leaning back in their careers as soon as they consider having children, which often means they take themselves out of the running for meaningful advancements.

20. Actionable Step: Women should remain fully engaged in their careers until they are actually ready to make any changes. Companies should create policies that make it easier for women to return to work after having children, like flexible working hours and childcare support.

21. The Myth of Doing It All

22. Summary: Sandberg debunks the myth that women can “do it all” without compromise. Trying to be perfect in all aspects of life can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction.
23. Example: She shares personal anecdotes about missing her children’s bedtimes and making concessions with her own schedule.

24. Actionable Step: Set realistic expectations and prioritize what matters most both in professional and personal life. Organizations should support work-life balance through flexible scheduling and realistic workload expectations.

25. Seek and Speak Your Truth

26. Summary: Open communication is critical to personal and professional development. Honest feedback helps in overcoming weaknesses and improving strengths.
27. Example: Sandberg discusses how her direct reports at Facebook provided her with valuable feedback that influenced her leadership style.

28. Actionable Step: Develop a culture of feedback by seeking input from peers, subordinates, and superiors. Regularly initiate feedback sessions and be open to constructive criticism.

29. Career and Jungle Gym, Not a Ladder

30. Summary: Career paths are not always linear; they can be more dynamic and resemble a jungle gym, with lateral moves and varied experiences contributing to growth.
31. Example: Sandberg shares her own career moves across different sectors, from the U.S. Treasury to Google, and then to Facebook.

32. Actionable Step: Embrace opportunities that arise, even if they do not follow a traditional upward trajectory. Explore different roles and departments that can offer new skills and broaden one’s experience.

33. Support Other Women

34. Summary: Women should actively support each other in professional environments to combat the systemic barriers and biases they face.
35. Example: Organizations like Lean In Circles provide a support network where women can share experiences and advice.

36. Actionable Step: Create or join peer support groups focused on professional development. Advocate for other women by recommending them for opportunities, providing mentorship, and building a community of allies within the workplace.

37. Onward and Upward

    • Summary: Women need to take more risks and advocate for themselves. Leaning in involves standing up for oneself and embracing potential failure as a growth opportunity.
    • Example: Sandberg recounts moments when taking risks led to significant career growth, such as accepting her leadership role at Facebook despite initial reservations.
    • Actionable Step: Identify risks worth taking and step out of your comfort zone systematically. Set tangible goals and take incremental steps towards achieving them, learning to view failure as an integral part of growth.

Leadership and ManagementExecutive Leadership