Lean In !!!!!

WHAT A BOOK!!!!! A must-buy, especially for working women. (No... After reading this, I will never say "working women" again — instead, I’ll call them women who love their career as much as they love their family.)

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, touches every nook and corner of a woman’s life — the struggles they face while balancing work and family. I was somewhat aware of workplace gender discrimination, but some facts surprised me. In 1970, American women earned 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. By 2010, it improved to 77 cents. I don’t know the current status, but I hope the day isn’t far when we achieve true equality.

A 2011 McKinsey report noted that men are promoted based on potential, while women are promoted based on past achievements. Even though many know about this discrimination, most women stay quiet, because they’re comfortable. Many hesitate to step out of their comfort zones, held back by family responsibilities and, most of all, by Impostor Syndrome — capable people caught in self-doubt. When receiving recognition, we often think, Did I fool everyone? Am I really worth it? Studies show impostor syndrome affects women more than men.

An important point Sheryl makes is: when men judge themselves, they credit their innate skills and qualities, whereas women tend to attribute their success to external factors like luck or help from others. This rings very true for me. For all my achievements, I have always credited 99% to God’s grace and 1% split between luck and help — never my own hard work. But if I can’t appreciate myself, how can I expect others to?

An internal report at HP revealed women apply for jobs only if they meet 100% of the criteria, whereas men apply if they meet 60%. This is exactly me! Whenever I see a job opening, if I don’t match all requirements, I simply don’t apply.

The book shares Sheryl’s professional and personal journey — the hardships she faced and the lessons learned. It inspires courage to view our own lives positively, even when balancing work and family feels like a roller coaster.

One story that really stood out was the Heidi-Howard case study. It showed how success and likability are positively correlated for men, but negatively correlated for women. Heidi Roizen, a successful entrepreneur, was described as selfish and unlikeable by half the class when her name was "Heidi." When the same story was told with her name changed to "Howard," the man was seen as an appealing colleague. Same facts, different gender, completely opposite perceptions. How pathetic!

Research over the last 40 years shows that children with involved and loving fathers have higher psychological well-being and better cognitive abilities compared to those with less involved fathers. Men who devote themselves 100% to work should understand this and learn to balance their time.

Usually, we say, "Behind every successful man, there is a woman." But after reading this book, I realized that "Behind every successful woman, there is a man," too. Without the support of a partner, no one can balance work and family effectively.