So you’re saying, “Okay, circus boy – reviews of vanilla business books are fine, but where’s the controversial stuff?” Well, look no further than this month’s offering, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. If you haven’t read this one already (and at just 182 pages and mostly stories, it’s a lay-up), you’ve likely heard of it or seen Ms. Sandberg interviewed. As the COO of Facebook, and a key sales executive in the early days at Google, she certainly has the resume to land “60 Minutes” and countless speaking opportunities with “Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” as a common theme. And the controversy lies largely in her message when it’s coupled with her upbringing.Great, Sheryl (they say), you think women should step up (or “lean in”) and aggressively tackle more exciting, meaningful leadership opportunities at work? When you’re born privileged, with access to all things Harvard, you too can become a multi-millionaire and have all the nannies, gardeners, and pool boys required and be so set on the home front you’re free to chase every dream you’ve ever had. And this argument, of course, is nonsense.
The author has achieved great status in the business world because she has that rare combination of brilliance, humility, and savvy networking skills, all of which are on full display in the book. She is self-aware enough to admit that she doesn’t “have it all” and calls such a concept a myth, saying in fact no one has it all nor will they ever. She’s tough on herself and candid about shortfalls in her marriage. And as a successful working mother, she’s often asked the veiled question, “How do you juggle it all?” Ms. Sandberg (giving full credit to Tina Fey, whom she clearly admires) says the real question, the one people actually seem to ask is, “You’re f***ing it all up, aren’t you?” According to the author, mothers “have to endure the rude questions and accusatory looks that remind us we’re shortchanging both our jobs and our children.” And therein lies the reason this is such a worthwhile read: it’s for women who want to feel better understood and for men to deliver on that very thing.
No time to read Lean In? No worries. Just peruse a copy and check out particular blurbs. On pg. 8, there’s a summary from a 2011 McKinsey report that concludes women have to prove themselves more than men do, stating “men are promoted based on potential, while women are promoted based on past accomplishments.” Or check out pg. 62, which summarizes an internal HP report that says that women will only apply for jobs for which they feel 100% qualified while men will apply at the 60% level. And for a laugh (or cry), pg. 141 tells the story of the author as an accomplished teenager meeting Tip O’Neill… who proceeded to pat her on the head, call her pretty and ask if she was a pom-pom girl. (Um, Mr. Speaker, kindly report to the office to retrieve your senses.) And if the book isn’t handy, in this study which was reported on in last month’s Boston Globe you’ll learn about “Gender Differences in Reactions to Ethical Compromises” (translation: women are less interested than men in business roles that they perceive to be morally questionable). It’s all fascinating material. And in recognition of the CIA’s recent appointment of a woman to lead the agency for the first time in its 150-year existence, well, why not?