Leadership Tuesdays: Competent And/Or Nice...Sheryl Sandberg

"If a woman is competent, she does not seem nice enough. If a woman seems really nice, she is considered more nice than competent. Since people want to hire and promote those who are both competent and nice, this creates a huge stumbling block for women. Acting in stereotypically feminine ways makes it difficult to reach for the same opportunities as men, but defying expectations and reaching for those opportunities leads to being judged as undeserving and selfish."

--Sheryl Sandberg, from the New York Times Best Selling Book, "Lean In"

For more info on "Lean In" and the organization behind the book, click here.

Every other Tuesday, WOMEN AT LIBERTY presents Leadership Tuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. It's March and that means it's Women's History Month. All month we have featured quotes by women and those who are supportive of women in leadership and women having an equal role in society. Today's Leadership Tuesdays quote is taken from Sheryl Sandberg's book, "Lean In", a New York Times Bestseller that was released one year ago this month.  

Ms. Sandberg's book and a subsequent campaign, Ban Bossy, which was launched last week, has definitely increased awareness about women leaders, the way women lead and the different expectations society has on girls and boys. She is not the first to talk about women in leadership or women aspiring to be high-powered executives while yet maintaining fulfilling family lives and a "life" outside of work.  I was especially encouraged in the early days of Leadership Tuesdays by a McKinsey video that was published in 2008. In this video, Shelly Lazarus, then CEO and chairman of Ogilvy, talked boldly about how she managed the demands of her career and family life. Check out her quote that inspired the Motivational Moment, "Be Who You Are".  To see the McKinsey video that includes former CEOs Shelly Lazarus and Andrea Jung, click here. 

As I reflect on Leadership Tuesdays and the three years it has been in existence, I continue to be inspired by the wisdom of women leaders like Ursula Burns, Ann Fudge, and Madeleine Albright. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays and our recent features, please visit our website, womenatliberty.com.