August 2013 Host: Emily
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Summary
In this
book, Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, challenges women (and men) to reevaluate
their work and life assumptions. She
advocates a ‘lean in’ theme, where women historically, and even to this day,
tend to stay in the background, thus allowing their male counterparts to take
more leadership roles. Even though 50%
of all college graduates are women, men still hold the vast majority of
leadership roles in government and industry.
Some of the topics she touches on are how men should take on more of the
family responsibilities that may typically lead a woman to stay home, how women
who are planning a family tend to mentally check out of work, how women are
mentally wired to be liked more than successful, and how our careers are
changing from a series of upward ladders to the up and down side movements of a
jungle gym. She asks the questions that
all women should ask themselves such as:
are you criticized for being too direct (something that is not considered
negative for a man), at meetings do you sit at the table and speak up, and do
you have an inner voice that says you are not qualified or that you are an
imposter. Sandberg provides practical
advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, the steps women can take to
combine a satisfying career with personal fulfillment, and how men can benefit
by supporting women in the workplace and at home. We all really enjoyed this book and highly
recommend it as we could relate to some of Sandberg’s life experiences.
Menu
Shrimp, avocado, and black bean salsa
Mexican Rice
(this recipe can be found on foodnetwork.com)
Tacos
Mexican Wedding Cookies
