The topic of women in the working world, at it’s core, is such a disheartening one. Especially if you ever have the wonderful opportunity to speak to this topic with a gender-biased male. We deal with glass ceilings and our biological clocks and, if that wasn’t enough, some of us are in the unfortunate situation of reporting to a male counterpoint who thinks females aren’t as qualified as their male peers. We have to work harder to be heard. Even though I know I’m better. And then we get bullsh*t about being too emotionally and physically and literally invested in female empowerment, and that I’m some sort of feminist if I’m outraged to hear something like “males are superior from the womb.” That is so 1990s its ridiculous…
Enter Sheryl Sandberg.
Lean In made me feel more motivated in my career than ever before. Sheryl Sandberg, aka Facebook COO, had some great real-life stories, learnings from her experience and if any of you “non-believers” need it, she also had hard data to support her leadership theories. Just from reading the first chapter, I walked into work with new ideals and started implementing small changes on how to deal with various matters to improve myself as a PR Girl.
Even better though is how this book, which is a really easy read, is able to explain things that are so simple that have detrimental side effects to your career and your life. Like the idea that your lifelong partner is actually your lifelong career choice. They say love is blind. But love better take care of children, be able to be in charge of making sure there is food on the table and that the many many kids are being picked up from soccer practice just as much as I am. (Read: When things ended with all my past boyfriends, it’s not you… but it’s not me either.. it’s my career and you suck) (Plus you really don’t want me in charge of cooking dinner unless you want cereal or mac n cheese, then I’m your girl)
I recommend this book to everyone with the official BATP rank of:
I mostly recommend this book to every single male child or female haterade out there. Please read it and get some perspective. You’re right that it might never be 50/50 in my lifetime, but it can be for future generations (…or hell, even BETTER, #TheEndofMen) but it starts with small solutions like the ones provided in Lean In and, more importantly, starts by changing your mentality on females at the workplace without asking for a tax incentive.
Here’s to my voting rights…which I didn’t have less than a 100 years ago,
