7 Best Quotes from Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
The Best Quotes from Lean In
In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg - the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook - presents an in-depth discussion of women and careers. Interwoven with personal experiences, real-world data, and valuable research, the author gradually removes the layers of illusion and misunderstanding surrounding women’s lives and their choices at work. Below are such quotes:
Honest communication is not always easy, but it is the foundation for building relationships in families and for creating real effectiveness at work. However, people frequently avoid the truth to protect themselves and others. We rarely have the courage to speak the truth. Honesty in the workplace is extremely difficult.
A career is a jungle gym, not a ladder. A ladder is limiting - you can move up or down, or step off it. A jungle gym offers far more creative exploration. A ladder has only one way to reach the top, but a jungle gym provides many different paths to get there.
Allow yourself to react emotionally and to feel the anger or sadness caused by criticism. Then quickly let it go and move on.
The moment I saw that internal barriers could change women’s behavior. The moment I realized that alongside institutional barriers, women also have to battle themselves.
When you are looking for a life partner, my advice to women is to date all kinds of men: bad boys, men who are afraid of long-term commitment, crazy boys. But don’t marry them. The qualities that make a man sexy do not make him a good husband. When you want to settle down, look for someone who wants an equal partner - someone who believes women should be smart, outspoken, and ambitious. Someone who values fairness and hopes, wants, and expects to share the work at home. Those men exist, and trust me, over time, nothing is more sexy than that.
In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.
Instead of worrying about how to live with these fears, ask yourself: What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Vote for the Most Meaningful Quote
If you had to choose the best quote from Lean In, which one would you pick? At Reading To Heal, we choose this one:
“When you are looking for a life partner, my advice to women is to date all kinds of men: bad boys, men who are afraid of long-term commitment, crazy boys. But don’t marry them. The qualities that make a man sexy do not make him a good husband. When you want to settle down, look for someone who wants an equal partner - someone who believes women should be smart, outspoken, and ambitious. Someone who values fairness and hopes, wants, and expects to share the work at home. Those men exist, and trust me, over time, nothing is more sexy than that.”
The reason is that this is a fascinating quote that very few people dare to talk about: how women choose their life partners. According to Sheryl Sandberg, when they are young, women can date many types of men. But when they intend to get married and live together long-term, they should choose a man who understands and practices equality with women.
This idea seems to run counter to what many people think: marrying a man who is rich, handsome, or attractive in other ways.
And you - which quote from Lean In do you like the most?
