When Sheryl Sandberg arrived at Facebook, many insiders viewed her with trepidation. As a McKinsey consultant and former Treasury Department official, she brought an academic pedigree, public-sector experience and a stamp of progressivism to a tech company already run by engineers.
But she soon became known for her 2010 TED Talk on women and leadership, which laid out the basic tenets of Lean In—a book and movement that would help millions of middle-class women struggle through a glass ceiling.
1. Embracing Change
Sheryl Sandberg’s life is an inspiring example of embracing change and taking action. She rose quickly in her career with a smart, determined mindset. She also took action to help those around her. Sheryl paved the way for women in business and helped to fight for equality. Sheryl Sandberg is an excellent role model for the benefits of embracing change and for what it can do to help people live happier lives.
Sandberg is a brilliant storyteller with a sharp sense of humor and an ability to connect with people. Her conversations are filled with data, vignettes and a handy conclusion that wraps up the point she is trying to make. Even when she has told a story before, friends and colleagues who hear her speak marvel at how she can deliver the same message with fresh emotion and impact.
When a colleague at Facebook named Heather Latham was diagnosed with cancer, Sandberg took on the challenge of helping her through her battle. Her commitment to help others overcome adversity and lead with courage is one of the reasons why she inspires many young professionals.
Despite being one of the most powerful women in business, Sheryl Sandberg is still not without critics. Her efforts to empower women, democratize the C-suite and make vulnerability and resilience actionable values in Silicon Valley are making her one of the most influential leaders in modern business.
In addition to urging women to “lean in,” she has called for corporate America to support policies such as raising the minimum wage, universal healthcare and paid maternity leave. Sandberg has a huge platform to promote her causes, which gives her an advantage over some of her most pointed critics.
2. Creating a Vision
Bold leaders don’t just have a vision; they live it. A vision is more than just a plan or goal; it’s a way of seeing the world and how your team can impact it. It’s a belief that you have the power to change the future and make it better. It’s what fuels resilience in the face of adversity.
The best leaders are so filled with their vision that they appear incandescent with it; lit from within. Steve Jobs was this kind of leader, and it’s easy to see why he was so successful. This distilled strength is what allows bold leaders to lead their teams, to inspire them, and to propel their organizations.
To have a vision, you must be able to look at the current state of your organization and anticipate what needs to be done to improve it. This requires an ability to assess past performance and use it as a guide for the future, but it also demands an open mind. Bold leaders avoid analysis paralysis and are willing to take risks in pursuit of their vision.
Lastly, a bold leader recognizes when the status quo no longer serves their purpose or brings them closer to their goals. It’s this willingness to move out of their comfort zone that separates resilient leaders from the rest.
Sheryl Sandberg is an American technology executive, philanthropist, and author of the bestsellers Lean In and Lean In for Graduates. She was the chief operating officer of Facebook (now Meta) from 2008 to 2022 and still sits on its board. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served on the boards of The Walt Disney Company, Women for Women International, and V-Day. She received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, where she was the top student and wrote her thesis with economist Lawrence Summers as her adviser.
3. Creating a Culture
Sheryl Sandberg has a lot to prove, and she doesn’t do things by half measures. So when she launched her book, Lean In, on the heels of an acclaimed TEDWomen talk she didn’t just write a memoir and sit back to watch the glowing reviews roll in, she created a movement.
She teamed up with former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers to create a women’s leadership training program at Facebook, and she encouraged her own employees to participate in the Lean In circles that are now being offered in the company’s offices around the world. She also set aside a large sum of money to help women pay for childcare, tuition and other expenses so they can pursue their careers without having to sacrifice family time.
Sandberg connects with people by using simple language, avoiding technology and financial jargon and bringing her messages to life with personal stories. Even friends who’ve heard her jokes and stories before marvel at the impact of their delivery. Her tone is that of a friend, with deliberate pauses to allow listeners to absorb her ideas and feelings.
Throughout her career, Sandberg has been tireless in her pursuit of equal opportunities. She is an advocate for gender equality, a role model to young women and has contributed enormously to the growth of two of the largest companies in the world.
Those who have criticized her – including Anne-Marie Slaughter, a former top State Department official who recently wrote a widely read Atlantic magazine piece accusing her of holding women to an unattainable standard because they are both super-human and rich – don’t seem to have the same level of conviction that she does about making real change in the lives of ordinary people.
4. Creating a Mission
After writing Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg started a movement. She encouraged women and girls to lean in, take challenges, buck stereotypes and become leaders. Since then, she has continued to speak out about the importance of leadership and what it means for the future of our country and world.
Sheryl Sandberg doesn’t do anything by half measures. As the highest-profile businesswoman in the world, she knows that if she wants to change the world, she can’t just publish a book and hope for the best. She needs a full-blown social movement. And that’s what she’s aiming for with Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resistance and Finding Joy.
Unlike many of the self-help books that litter America’s shelves, Sandberg’s doesn’t just provide life lessons and personal mantras. Instead, it inspires people by telling a story of her own. Sheryl’s anecdotes about her family, friends and colleagues are interwoven with academic research on personal and professional methods for strengthening resilience.
For example, she recounts how she cried at work after her husband Dave Goldberg died of cancer. She was worried about being ostracized by her peers and the media, but she knew that the best way to move forward was to talk about it. In fact, she went so far as to invite Facebook employees to join her in a conference room to hear each other’s stories of loss and recovery.
As a result, Sheryl encourages her readers to embrace the idea that it is okay to feel sad at work — and that even if you can’t fix everything, you can still make progress. Sheryl also offers a variety of practical tips for dealing with tragedy and setbacks, such as learning to delegate tasks and setting aside time for rest.
5. Creating a Vision for the Future
Sheryl Kara Sandberg is a rare beast – she is an extremely successful senior technology executive, philanthropist and author with a knife-sharp mind. She rose to prominence in Silicon Valley at two of the largest technology companies and is now a high-profile advocate for women at work. Her manifesto Lean In and accompanying movement have made her a target of a slew of critics.
Her critics claim that she is not being realistic in her advice. She is, after all, a billionaire who lives in a large house and can hire help to keep her children fed, bathed and happy while she sits in Facebook meetings or gives a TEDx talk. In the eyes of those critics, her lofty position and rich lifestyle render her words useless to a single mother working two jobs to make ends meet or a woman appalled at corporate America’s dreadful record on paid maternity leave.
Sandberg counters that her critics are missing the point. Her goal is to empower women, particularly those who have children or care for elderly parents. Her message is that, regardless of your circumstances, you can still lean in and find a way to succeed. She does this by connecting with people through a powerful narrative, avoiding technology and financial jargon and bringing her message to life with personal stories.
One of these personal stories is a poignant tale of how she secretly left the office before her husband came home for dinner so that she could be with their son. It sounds like a scene from The Circle, the best-selling novel that has now been turned into a film starring Emma Watson and directed by Dave Eggers. Except that, in real life, it led to a company-wide dialogue on how to balance work and family, not the start of totalitarian thought control.
