The COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, is an obvious female role model for someone whose road to success was spurred by social media. Predictable, right?
But Sandberg’s success isn’t about social media; it is about reinventing a company to remain relevant in the constantly changing landscape of online media. Within two years of joining Facebook as COO in 2008, the company became profitable by taking a risk on discreetly placed advertising. Last year, Facebook ad revenue rose more than 60% and the targeting capabilities coupled with innovative ad formats and an aggressive jump into video point to ongoing growth. Taking risks is scary, but it can lead to innovative ideas that deliver effective impact.
Sandberg’s success isn’t about social media; it is about reinventing a company to remain relevant in the constantly changing landscape of online media.
While Sandberg’s business acumen is respectable in itself, her activism for women’s equality in the workplace is what makes her crush-worthy. After publishing the best-selling book “Lean In,” Sandberg became the face of female leadership in business and spurred discussion about the wage gap: in the United States, the average female’s earnings have been cited as being just 78% of those of an average male. Equaling the playing field between men and women isn’t just about equal pay in equal roles; it is just as important to encourage young women to seek out leadership roles.
Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund
As Marian Wright Edelman wisely said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Here’s what I see:
Vulnerability is Powerful
Sheryl Sandberg’s Facebook post on losing her husband
The shoulder-padded female power executive of ’80s Working Girl infamy are being replaced by empathetic leaders who embrace inclusion and partnership. Women are no longer climbing an imaginary ladder, which is a relief because I don’t particularly like heights and certainly don’t have room in my life for a glass ceiling. With this has come a shift from a take-charge, aggressive approach to power that leaves no room for weakness to an admission of humanity and an acceptance of support. Sandberg lost her husband unexpectedly last year, and instead of checking her emotions at the office door and powering through with a strong facade, she acknowledged her personal challenges which ultimately strengthened her bonds with her team.
“I realized that to restore that closeness with my colleagues that has always been so important to me, I needed to let them in. And that meant being more open and vulnerable than I ever wanted to be.”
You Can’t have It All…But “We” Can
Work/life balance is a myth. There is no magic balance; it is a constant balancing act. Having a family, hobbies, passions, pets … it is possible while achieving professional success, but it requires help and partnership. The superwoman myth of having it all leads to unrealistic expectations and what Sandberg coins as “leaving before you leave.” Women don’t apply for promotions or seek that executive role in anticipation of having a family and having to compromise, accepting that the responsibility of having outside needs will outweigh the ability to excel at work. In her book, Sandberg attributes her success to having a husband that helped shoulder that responsibility.
“A truly equal world would be one where women ran half our countries and companies and men ran half our homes.” — Sheryl Sandberg
Partnership and support come in all varieties, from co-workers who step up to take extra responsibility so you can tend to personal business to friends and family who make having it all a reality. Successful working women with successful personal lives aren’t superheroes defying all odds…they are and should be the norm.
Sandberg encourages women to take your seat at the table. She created a pretty substantial table with an online network of peer groups called Lean In Circles that currently has 25,000 circles in 128 countries. I regularly ask myself how I will continue to take action to empower female leaders. For starters, I invite you to my table…let’s chat.
Pro Tip: Negotiate like a ninja. When a female employee counters a salary or raise proposition I make a point of recognizing it. Even if I can’t meet their requests, I encourage them to always ask for what they want.