5 Lessons For Every Woman From Sheryl Sandberg’s Book ‘Lean In’

“So please ask yourself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid? And then go do it.”

Just a few months ago I read the book Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and I thought it had incredibly insightful thoughts and lessons that I think every woman should be know. So here are my top five takeaways:

1. Don’t shy away from emotion. Women are predisposed to be nurturing and this is often portrayed as a weakness in many circumstances, but it’s actually the total opposite. Our ability to empathise and be emotional are strengths we can use when leading, managing or negotiating; understand the needs of others is a key skill for success.

2. Don’t apologise. Women have internal obstacles as a result of thinking too much about other people’s expectations and feel like they have to be or act a certain way. This internalisation causes confusion but it shouldn’t; all you need to be is yourself and never apologise for it. Other people don’t.

3. Don’t try to ‘have it all and do it all’ perfectly. Aim to ‘do it all’ to the best of your ability and recognise that’s all you need to do.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Women play so many roles and balancing it all is really hard. Recognise that asking for help, whether it’s at home or at work, is your right.

5. Don’t be afraid to be a leader. It’s ok to be strong, aggressive, and even loud when the situation demands it. It might appear ‘unladylike’ but do you think men even think about ‘being too loud or aggressive’ when it comes to getting things done? Never. So why should you?

Have you read the book? If you have any other thoughts or lessons learned, please comment below.