What will I learn about: identify and overcome both the external workplace barriers and the internal lack of self-confidence that cause women to pull back instead of leaning in?

Learn how to identify and overcome both the external workplace barriers and the internal lack of self-confidence that cause women to pull back instead of leaning in.

What will I learn about: why the leadership ambition gap exists and how eliminating the fear of societal criticism empowers women to pursue high-level career roles?

Discover why the leadership ambition gap exists and how eliminating the fear of societal criticism empowers women to pursue high-level career roles.

What will I learn about: why women frequently underestimate themselves by attributing their success to luck, and learn how to confidently claim your own capabilities?

Understand why women frequently underestimate themselves by attributing their success to luck, and learn how to confidently claim your own capabilities.

What will I learn about: Uncover the implicit gender biases that make successful women seem less likable through the eye-opening Heidi versus Howard case study?

Uncover the implicit gender biases that make successful women seem less likable through the eye-opening Heidi versus Howard case study.

What will I learn about: Realize why abandoning the need to please everyone is an essential step for women who want to excel professionally and drive real change?

Realize why abandoning the need to please everyone is an essential step for women who want to excel professionally and drive real change.

Lean In

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Sheryl Sandberg

★ 4.1 / 5(266 ratings)

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Categories:

Career & Success Management & Leadership Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered why success and likeability often seem to work against each other for women in the workplace, and how you can navigate this paradox?
💡What if the most critical career decision you ever make has nothing to do with your resume, but everything to do with your choice of life partner?
💡Did you know there’s a common psychological trap that causes many professionals to 'leave before they leave' their jobs, and could it be stalling your career growth right now?

Listen to Lean In — Free Audiobook

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Key Takeaways from Lean In

✓Learn how to identify and overcome both the external workplace barriers and the internal lack of self-confidence that cause women to pull back instead of leaning in.
✓Discover why the leadership ambition gap exists and how eliminating the fear of societal criticism empowers women to pursue high-level career roles.
✓Understand why women frequently underestimate themselves by attributing their success to luck, and learn how to confidently claim your own capabilities.
✓Uncover the implicit gender biases that make successful women seem less likable through the eye-opening Heidi versus Howard case study.
✓Realize why abandoning the need to please everyone is an essential step for women who want to excel professionally and drive real change.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Lean In

Mind Map

Lean In

The Reality of Inequality+

Overcoming Internal Barriers+

Career Strategies+

Balancing Work and Home+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 11

According to the text, what is a surprising finding regarding evaluators who claim to be highly impartial?

A. They are the most likely to promote women into executive roles.
B. They actually discriminate against women more than others.
C. They focus solely on monetary compensation rather than performance.
D. They evaluate men and women equally but with extreme harshness.

Question 2 of 11

What is identified as a primary driver of the 'leadership ambition gap' between men and women?

A. Women statistically earn fewer undergraduate and master's degrees than men.
B. Women are inherently less interested in corporate structures and hierarchies.
C. Societal gender stereotypes pressure women to temper their career goals.
D. Companies legally mandate different and slower career tracks for women.

Question 3 of 11

What does the 'queen bee' phenomenon refer to in the workplace?

A. A female leader who actively mentors other women to eventually replace her.
B. A woman who reaches senior status and actively hinders the advancement of other women.
C. A male executive who promotes only one woman to a leadership role to meet a quota.
D. The tendency of companies to hire women primarily for administrative and support roles.

Question 4 of 11

How do men and women typically differ in attributing their successes and failures, according to studies mentioned in the text?

A. Men credit external factors for success, while women credit their innate skills.
B. Both men and women equally blame external factors for their failures in the workplace.
C. Men credit innate skills for success and blame external factors for failure, while women do the opposite.
D. Women attribute both their successes and failures entirely to the support of their mentors.

Question 5 of 11

Why does the author prefer the metaphor of a 'jungle gym' over a 'career ladder'?

A. It emphasizes that career advancement is a ruthless and dangerous competition.
B. It reflects that people no longer advance linearly and can take multiple flexible routes to the top.
C. It shows that careers are inherently unstable and require constant physical endurance.
D. It suggests that employees must continuously jump from one company to another every year.

Question 6 of 11

How does the relationship between career success and likeability differ between genders?

A. They are positively correlated for both men and women.
B. They are negatively correlated for men but positively correlated for women.
C. They have no correlation for either gender in modern, progressive workplaces.
D. They are positively correlated for men but negatively correlated for women.

Question 7 of 11

What is recommended as a strategy for fostering effective and appropriate communication in the workplace?

A. Using brutal honesty to ensure the message is undeniably clear to all parties.
B. Avoiding difficult conversations entirely to maintain workplace harmony.
C. Starting statements with 'I' rather than framing them as absolute truths.
D. Beating around the bush to protect colleagues' feelings and avoid conflict.

Question 8 of 11

What is the author's advice regarding finding a professional mentor?

A. Directly ask senior executives, 'Will you be my mentor?' to show ambition and initiative.
B. Focus on delivering outstanding performance so that a mentor will naturally be attracted to you.
C. Only seek out female mentors, as male executives are completely unwilling to mentor young women.
D. Prioritize finding a mentor before attempting to take on any high-profile projects.

Question 9 of 11

What is one way mothers inadvertently discourage fathers from playing an equal role at home?

A. By working too many hours and leaving the father completely in charge of the household.
B. By criticizing the father's methods when he cares for the children, pushing him away from duties.
C. By demanding that the father take a longer paternity leave than his company allows.
D. By hiring external childcare instead of relying on the father for help.

Question 10 of 11

What career mistake do many women make in anticipation of having a family?

A. They take on too many promotions and experience severe burnout before the baby arrives.
B. They preemptively damage their careers by turning down opportunities to make room for future family life.
C. They demand too much flexibility from their employers before they are even pregnant.
D. They completely ignore their personal lives and focus solely on work until the baby is born.

Question 11 of 11

According to the text, what is the problem with the concept of 'having it all'?

A. It is a dangerous trap because life requires tradeoffs and no one can do everything perfectly.
B. It encourages women to prioritize their careers entirely over their families.
C. It is only achievable if a woman has a stay-at-home partner to manage the household.
D. It forces companies to lower their performance expectations for female employees.

Lean In — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2Women remain noticeably absent from leadership roles, partly because of the leadership ambition gap.
3Let’s speak openly about inequality and work together to correct it.
4A lack of confidence can hold back women’s careers.
5Careers are more like jungle gyms than ladders; aim for the top, but stay flexible in your route.
6Women must carefully balance ambition and likeability.
7To support effective communication, practice and encourage authenticity and appropriateness.
8Attract mentors rather than accosting them, and build natural, reciprocal relationships.
9Equality also means a truly equal partnership at home.
10Before going on maternity leave, lean in to your job as much as possible.
11Don’t try to do everything perfectly; focus on what’s important.
12Final summary

Lean In Summary & Overview

Through a combination of entertaining anecdotes, solid data and practical advice, Lean In (2013) examines the prevalence of and reasons for gender inequality both at home and at work. It encourages women to lean into their careers by seizing opportunities and aspiring to leadership positions, as well calling on both men and women to acknowledge and remedy the current gender inequalities.

Who Should Listen to Lean In?

Anyone interested in understanding and remedying inequality at work
Anyone who struggles with the challenges and expectations of combining a career with family
Anyone – female or male – looking for solid career advice

About the Author: Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and formerly a vice president at Google as well as the chief of staff of US Secretary of the Treasury, Larry Summers. In 2011, she was ranked the fifth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

Lean In

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Lean In — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Lean In

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Lean In — Full Chapter Overview

Lean In Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Lean In?

About the Author: Sheryl Sandberg

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