Lean In – Sheryl Sandberg – Simple and Easy Read

I studied in an all boys school.  It was different when I went for special classes or bachelors degree where girls and boys were in the same class. I grew up in a household where both my father and mother were working. My wife was also working when we got married. However she quit post our wedding. Thanks to Manchaca Road Branch Library in Austin, TX – got to read Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.

Sheryl highlights the insecurities women undergo not just at work but at a lot of things they do. Luckily the book was very simple and a great read. You will be able to relate to everything she talks about in our day to day lives.

Sheryl quotes Warren Buffet where Warren talks about what America has achieved just with fifty percent of the population (highlighting that majority of the women were not participating in the economic success of America). Women usually feel shy to take up new responsibilities (because they think they may not have the relevant experience), whereas men jump on it.

I liked her observations on mentorships where she recommends not to go hunt for mentors. It is a natural process where both the person being mentored and the mentor learn from each other.

Healthier and Happy Families: Sheryl’s thoughts on Men and Women working in a household lead to healthier and happier families was great to read. She would like to see more fathers picking up their kids from school and washing dishes or load the washer / dryer.  This does happen quite a lot in Asian Indian families in the United States (I would like to think over 75 percent) where men and women divide responsibilities to raise their children. However this has not caught up extensively in India (where it is usually the women who do most of the work (washing clothes, cleaning dishes and more). It is definitely refreshing for men to wash dishes or cleaning the house. You do feel fresh.

Sheryl also talks about Marissa Mayer being hired to be Yahoo CEO when she was pregnant. Sheryl became the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook not long after she had given birth to a child. This is in stark contrast to India where the maternity leave is usually six months.  

I strongly believe in women working and have seen them do miracles at work. It also helps a lot in diversity. As companies we will be losing out on a big opportunity if we do not let the women lead the game.

As Sheryl describes in the introduction of her book, Lean In is not just a good read for women, but a great read for all men. If you are a manager you will know how to utilize women effectively in your team, if you are a husband, you will learn how to share household responsibilities and if you are a woman you will learn to be bold and take up new responsibilities.

Thank you Sheryl for writing this book. Not sure where your next stop is. However I will not be surprised if it is running for a public office. Good Luck.