Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In

One of my young friends who works for Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's COO, gave me an autographed copy of Sheryl's new book, Lean In, when it was released last Monday.  The well-researched book builds on her 2010 TED address which encouraged women to take charge of our careers (Lean In).   She shares data, provides humorous and candid anecdotes, labels biases and challenges many of us to subtly or dramatically change our approach.

Some of her key messages include:

• The leadership ambition gap for women is perpetuated by a "stereotype threat" (most leadership positions and well-compensated positions are held by men) and the assumption that a creating a successful personal and professional life is difficult to impossible.
• Sit at the table - don't let self-doubt or deference banish you to the sidelines in meetings where your voice is needed.
• Success and likeability are usually negatively correlated for women
• The proverbial career ladder would better be viewed as a jungle gym, with multiple paths to success rather than a single straight upward trajectory.
• Mentorship, sponsorship and seized conversations can all offer advantages.
• Authentic communication requires acknowledging others' truths as well as our own
• Don't plan with specificity too far ahead - keep options open
• Make your partner a true partner.
• We can't do it all, all the time.
• No one wants her achievements minimized.