In her talk, Sheryl Sandberg explores the ongoing underrepresentation of women in leadership roles across industries and nations. She blames this dispense of social, cultural, and institutional factors restricting women’s access to opportunities, resources, and networks. Sandberg focuses on the prejudices and biases that impede women’s competency and leadership potential and create a double standard in the workplace (Why we have too few women leaders, 2010). Women who are forceful and ambitious, for example, are sometimes characterized as “bossy” or “difficult,” but males who demonstrate the same conduct are hailed as “confident” and “assertive.” Sandberg also highlights women’s difficulties balancing work and family commitments, particularly in a culture that stigmatizes caring and expects women to put their professions above all else. Despite these challenges, Sandberg advises women to follow their dreams and gain the skills and confidence required to thrive in leadership positions (So we leaned in… now what?, 2013). She also calls on businesses and organizations to address uneven pay, a lack of mentorship and sponsorship, and restrictive work arrangements.
References
Sandberg, S. (2010). Why we have too few women leaders [Video]. TED. Web.
Sandberg, S. (2013). So we leaned in… now what? [Video]. TED. Web.