Book Review: Lean in by Sheryl Sandberg: Helping women overcome barriers and make it to the top of their field

By 50minutes

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Lean In is one of the most talked-about business books in recent years, and has resonated with women around the world. It takes as its starting point the notable paucity of women in corporate and governmental leadership positions, before outlining the reasons for this and laying out a series of recommendations for working women looking to get ahead. The book’s ultimate aim is to encourage women to set goals, reach for them wholeheartedly and fulfil their potential despite the obstacles facing them. Sheryl Sandberg is one of the most recognisable and influential figures in modern business thanks to her position as chief operating officer at Facebook. She has also worked at the US Treasury, McKinsey and Company and Google.

This book review and analysis is perfect for: 
• Women looking to advance in their careers
• Women looking to increase their self-confidence and leadership skills
• Anyone interested in learning more about the obstacles facing working women

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The Book Review series from the 50Minutes collection is aimed at anyone who is looking to learn from experts in their field without spending hours reading endless pages of information. Our reviews present a concise summary of the main points of each book, as well as providing context, different perspectives and concrete examples to illustrate the key concepts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: 50Minutes.com
• Release date: Apr 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9782808017404

Book preview

LEAN IN: WOMEN, WORK AND THE WILL TO LEAD

HELPING WOMEN OVERCOME BARRIERS AND MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF THEIR FIELD

Lean In is about women and leadership. Sandberg hopes that the book will encourage women to set goals, reach for them wholeheartedly and fulfil their potential despite the obstacles along the way. It consists of sociological research, along with Sandberg’s own personal experience of navigating the world of business as a woman. The vast majority of world leaders and CEOs are men, the gender pay gap persists and, despite that fact that in the Western world women nowadays are better off than ever before, men still rule the world. According to the laws of economics and many studies, our collective performance would improve if we used the whole pool of human resources. The fact that women are underrepresented in leadership positions means that we are not tapping into our full potential. Sandberg believes that the world would be a better place if we did.

There are both external societal barriers and internalised barriers that hinder women on their path to the top. Sandberg focuses on advising women on how to overcome the internal