In 2010, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg gave a now-famous TEDTalk on the noticeable absence of women in leadership positions. In 2013, her book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead was published and placed her at the head of the recent movement for gender equality across all facets of the professional world. After the success of her book, LeanIn.Org was founded to continue Sandberg’s mission of changing the trajectory for women and creating an equal world.
With the start of a new school year, Sandberg and her team at Lean In have prepared a series of events to promote the foundation to a college audience: first, a Q+A session with college journalists last Monday, and second, a livestream kickoff event scheduled for 9 p.m. Thursday night where Sandberg and her team will speak about Lean In’s initiatives in the coming year.
Of the various programs that Lean In has coordinated for women–inspiring articles, free online lectures, community-building events–the most popular are Lean In Circles, small groups where women can meet to discuss their experiences and aspirations, and support the goals of their peers. During Monday’s discussion, Sandberg described these Circles as a constructive space aiming to “get you out of your comfort zone and give you a burst of confidence.” Lean In Circles were originally targeted towards women in professional spheres, but have since expanded to include 350 college chapters nationwide. Last fall, Harvard was the first.
Like other women who have read the book, senior and current Lean In at Harvard President Mirta Stantic was struck by how many of Sandberg’s experiences as a woman in the professional world resonated with her own as a college student.
“I read the book during the summer before my junior year and started talking to people around me about its content. Many felt that some of the topics were hitting close to home–girls were not asking for more responsibilities, were not asking questions for the fear of sounding dumb, were not calling people out on inappropriate comments in their workplaces, were not negotiating their job offers. And this was all happening at Harvard! I felt that there was so much to learn about the techniques that would really make the playing field equal.”
Ready to combat the gender inequalities she saw on campus, Stantic decided to help bring Sandberg’s message back to her alma mater. She reached out to the foundation for guidance on how to get involved, and soon after the first college program for Lean In launched at Harvard.
Since its inaugural semester last year, Harvard’s chapter has grown to include a six-member Executive Board and multiple student-moderated circles. Through discussion of gender-based issues faced by college women, Lean In at Harvard has made a positive impact on its members by offering direct support and encouragement, and providing tools to reach for new opportunities.
“I think people are talking about gender more openly and in a constructive manner. It feels like Lean In opened a channel of communication for discussions about building a more equal world, and the most important thing for me is that these discussions are happening outside of the circles as well,” Stantic said. “From the feedback I got from our members last year, their membership in circles also empowered them to reach for opportunities they didn’t think they could get before, or negotiate the terms of an existing one.”
Despite these positive effects on Harvard’s campus and in circles around the country, Lean In has not been immune to criticism–mainly the opinion that Sandberg’s message applies only to a particular and inherently privileged sect of women. “There’s been a lot of noise on both sides,” she replied to claims of elitism and exclusivity in her book during Monday’s talk. “It makes me sad when people don’t understand how important equality is for everyone—and that message of equality is even more important for the people who have more to lose.”
Stantic also admitted that there has been backlash to the presence of Lean In at Harvard, but believes the criticism is helpful in building a more inclusive organization. “We actually held a debate with some of the opponents of the approach last year and it was a really useful start of the conversation about inclusivity for us. I hope we continue having healthy conversations about this and I am also looking forward to many initiatives that should help make our circles feel like a safe space for everyone, as well as a cause worth fighting for.”
Even with some negative feedback, Stantic is confident that Lean In will continue encouraging Harvard women to take risks and raise their hands in the coming year. She and the rest of the Executive Board have carefully planned to increase the organization’s presence on campus and broaden the focus of circle discussions.
“We are definitely hoping to work with more freshmen this year and are working on some initiatives that would be appealing to them,” Stantic said. “We also are aiming to see how we can involve the senior class into some programming about negotiation and interview process, particularly for those who are looking for a job right now. Finally, we are hoping to expand our focus on more careers.”
With over 20,000 circles in 73 countries, Lean In is capturing the attention of women around the world—however, Sandberg’s biggest goal for Lean In is a triumphant end. In the near future, Sandberg envisions a world where the struggles she has experienced as an ambitious woman are no longer an issue. “Twenty years from now,” she stated at the end of Monday’s talk, “I hope Lean In doesn’t need to exist, because equality exists.”
Until her ideal becomes the norm, Sandberg encouraged Monday’s audience to continue being proactive in the fight for gender equality. “Keep writing about gender. Keep having high standards. Together, we can fix this.”
Lean In at Harvard will host a screening of the Lean In kickoff event at 9 p.m in Fong Auditorium in Bolyston Hall on Thursday night. For more information about joining Lean In at Harvard, contact President Mirta Stantic at mirta_coach@leanin.org.