Facebook COO: On a mission to elevate women
Sheryl Sandberg is not backing down.
The Facebook chief operating officer's book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" goes on sale Monday amid criticism that she's too successful and rich to lead a movement. But Sandberg says her focus remains on spurring action and progress among women.
"The conversation, the debate is all good, because where we were before was stagnation - and stagnation is bad," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "And sometimes it takes real heated debate to wake people up and find a solution."
With "Lean In," Sandberg aims to arm women with the tools and guidance they need to keep moving forward in the workforce. The book's release is coupled with the launch of Sandberg's LeanIn.org a nonprofit that will receive all of the book's proceeds.
The book isn't just for women. It calls on men to lend support, both at home and in the office.
"This is about who we are as people," Sandberg says. "Who we can be as individuals and as a society."
In the book, Sandberg illuminates facts about the dearth of women in positions of power and offers real-world solutions. Women, Sandberg writes, make up only 14 percent of executive officers, 18 percent of elected congressional officials and 22 of 197 heads of state. What's worse, Sandberg says, is that women have not made true progress in corporate America over the past decade. Boardrooms are still as overwhelmingly male as they were 10 years ago.
"While women continue to outpace men in educational achievement, we have ceased making real progress at the top of any industry," she writes in "Lean In." ''This means that when it comes to making the decisions that most affect our world, the voices of women are not heard equally."
Sandberg, 43, has worked at Facebook as its No. 2 executive since 2008. CEO Mark Zuckerberg lured her away from Google to help run what has since become a social networking powerhouse and formidable Google rival. Sandberg says it's only been in the last few years that she's started thinking seriously about the issues affecting working women. As recently as three years ago, Sandberg says, she would not have spoken the words "women in the workforce."
"You never say the word 'woman' as a working woman because if you do, the person on the other side of the table is going to say you are asking for special treatment," she says.
But seeing women stall in their quest for corporate success bothered her more and more. In 2010, she was asked to speak at the newly minted TEDWomen, an arm of the annual TED conference which showcases "ideas worth spreading."
Her speech was titled "Why we have too few women leaders." The video became wildly popular. It has been viewed more than 2 million times on TED's website. Yet before she gave speech, Sandberg says "a whole bunch of people told me not to." And although she'd given hundreds of talks on Facebook and social media and exactly one on women, after her speech people would ask her "is this your thing now?'"
"That was really the first time I spoke up," she says. Since then, Sandberg has come to call herself "a proud feminist."
Sandberg says it was the flood of responses that she received following the speech that got her thinking about writing a book. Some women wrote to her and said the speech encouraged them to ask for a raise. Others said it motivated them to ask for more family-friendly work hours.
LeanIn.org grew out of the book with the help of co-founder Gina Bianchini, who was inspired by a course she took at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research called "Voice & Influence." Its mission - "to empower women and men to be as effective as possible and to create organizations where all people can thrive" - is at the core of LeanIn.org. LEanIn.org hopes to reach as many people as possible by offering materials and easy-to-replicate guidelines online, for free. Sandberg calls it a platform, which, in the technology world means something that others can take, change and make their own.
"We are a startup," Sandberg says. "We are going to see what happens, and what companies do with our platform."
The Facebook chief operating officer's book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" goes on sale Monday amid criticism that she's too successful and rich to lead a movement. But Sandberg says her focus remains on spurring action and progress among women.
"The conversation, the debate is all good, because where we were before was stagnation - and stagnation is bad," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "And sometimes it takes real heated debate to wake people up and find a solution."
With "Lean In," Sandberg aims to arm women with the tools and guidance they need to keep moving forward in the workforce. The book's release is coupled with the launch of Sandberg's LeanIn.org a nonprofit that will receive all of the book's proceeds.
The book isn't just for women. It calls on men to lend support, both at home and in the office.
"This is about who we are as people," Sandberg says. "Who we can be as individuals and as a society."
In the book, Sandberg illuminates facts about the dearth of women in positions of power and offers real-world solutions. Women, Sandberg writes, make up only 14 percent of executive officers, 18 percent of elected congressional officials and 22 of 197 heads of state. What's worse, Sandberg says, is that women have not made true progress in corporate America over the past decade. Boardrooms are still as overwhelmingly male as they were 10 years ago.
"While women continue to outpace men in educational achievement, we have ceased making real progress at the top of any industry," she writes in "Lean In." ''This means that when it comes to making the decisions that most affect our world, the voices of women are not heard equally."
Sandberg, 43, has worked at Facebook as its No. 2 executive since 2008. CEO Mark Zuckerberg lured her away from Google to help run what has since become a social networking powerhouse and formidable Google rival. Sandberg says it's only been in the last few years that she's started thinking seriously about the issues affecting working women. As recently as three years ago, Sandberg says, she would not have spoken the words "women in the workforce."
"You never say the word 'woman' as a working woman because if you do, the person on the other side of the table is going to say you are asking for special treatment," she says.
But seeing women stall in their quest for corporate success bothered her more and more. In 2010, she was asked to speak at the newly minted TEDWomen, an arm of the annual TED conference which showcases "ideas worth spreading."
Her speech was titled "Why we have too few women leaders." The video became wildly popular. It has been viewed more than 2 million times on TED's website. Yet before she gave speech, Sandberg says "a whole bunch of people told me not to." And although she'd given hundreds of talks on Facebook and social media and exactly one on women, after her speech people would ask her "is this your thing now?'"
"That was really the first time I spoke up," she says. Since then, Sandberg has come to call herself "a proud feminist."
Sandberg says it was the flood of responses that she received following the speech that got her thinking about writing a book. Some women wrote to her and said the speech encouraged them to ask for a raise. Others said it motivated them to ask for more family-friendly work hours.
LeanIn.org grew out of the book with the help of co-founder Gina Bianchini, who was inspired by a course she took at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research called "Voice & Influence." Its mission - "to empower women and men to be as effective as possible and to create organizations where all people can thrive" - is at the core of LeanIn.org. LEanIn.org hopes to reach as many people as possible by offering materials and easy-to-replicate guidelines online, for free. Sandberg calls it a platform, which, in the technology world means something that others can take, change and make their own.
"We are a startup," Sandberg says. "We are going to see what happens, and what companies do with our platform."
In an era where girls are strongly outpacing boys in the pro-female education system, graduating at higher rates, gaining more jobs and earning more than young males, I wonder what would happen if a male CEO wrote a book or gave lectures to "Empower Males." It has become so correct now a days to "empower girls" while not only letting boys fail and fall behind but crushing anything that's inherently male and treating it like cancer.Â
Further more, feminists simply cannot bare the idea that men and women are different. It's been researched extensively that males are better wired for these positions while females tend to burn out much faster. They take biological nature and turn it into false oppression and discrimination.Â
Women like myself -- who've done the work: AKA worked like a man -- are sick of these women crying discrimination and oppression against our gender not being the majority in all the areas they deem to be powerful and sexy while never making a big deal about males being the majority in low end, physically dangerous jobs. This is why women get treated differently and males look at them as needing special attention.Â
I wonder where she found the time to write that book.
The main issue I have with people like this is they say they want to empower women but the reality is they want women to be something or other that is their idea of what women should be. I think women should have the exact same opportunities as men and be allowed to decide for themselves what they want to be. I don't care if its a CEO or stay at home mom, they deserve to make the choice and should not be told they are somehow wrong for choosing one or the other. I applaud her for her success and for her attempts to help women but I'm withholding judgement.Â
@SeattleJoe It's classic Cafeteria Equality. They never ever cry about the lack of women in garbage pick-up positions. Or that coal mining jobs are male dominated. Nor that the military draft lacks equality. Feminists are beyond obsessed with CEO positions and Senate Seats. Why has maleness become a disease which must be abolished while we're pushing girls to enter fields they absolutely do not want to do?Â
@Lisa @SeattleJoe Exactly. Their definition of empowered is any role that is typically performed by men instead of any role that a woman actually wants to do.
Only in America can you be considered "too rich and successful" to lead a movement teaching people how to achieve wealth and success.
@Mumblix Grumph Only if you're a woman. Lots of rich and powerful men write books and nobody blinks an eye. But my oh my, a woman does it and it's a headline that says "on a mission".
"Lean IN?" OK... I hope no one makes any suggestive remarks that demeans hardworking, corporate women. I would object to anyone using the phrase in a suggestive way. That is wrong. Especially if you ask for a  sammich as well. Don't do it.
She can start by advocating that a reporting button be added to FB to address cyber bullying of young women and end FB's aiding and abetting of cyber bullying.Â
@Citizen#3457899654 I agree I have recently been bullied by someone local. And I have no way to report it.
@Steve Giovanis @Citizen#3457899654 Whoa, just a minute -- aiding and abetting? When did FB become responsible for how people use it? Exactly what do you expect FB to do about bullying? FB is not responsible for correcting people's behavior that led you to block someone's account. My stepdaughter was hassled by a family who is angry at her for dating a family member's ex. There is no "crazy hillbilly b-tch" button and we don't need one. You are responsible for dealing with your problems. Handle a cyber bully the same way you would handle one who lives in your neighborhood, or works where you work. If you need to report it to somebody, report it to the police. (By the way, how old are you? You look old enough to stop using the term "bullying" a long time ago.)