I recently picked up a copy of Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, current Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. It is an incredibly addictive read but is also an eye opener for any woman who wishes to progress in her career and become a leader. To start, let’s consider some troubling facts about women in the working world:
1. Women hold 14% of executive officer positions.
2. In 1970, Women were paid $0.59 for every dollar men made. It’s now $0.77.
3. More male college students say they want to “reach managerial level” three years after school than females.
4. In a survey of 4,000 employees at big companies, 36% of men said they want to be CEO. Only 18% of women said the same.
5. Men attribute their success to innate qualities and skills. Women attribute their success to luck and help from others.
6. Women make up 18% of Congress.
7. Of the Fortune 500 CEOs, only 21 are women.
These are just a few of the eye opening facts I have come to understand since I started reading Sandberg’s book. Of course in the past women traditionally stayed at home to raise their children and take care of the home but that time has passed! Women started leaving their traditional roles and entering the working world about 50 years ago yet there are still such discrepancies in society.
While there are some systematic barriers that account for such discrepancies and some societal tendencies to believe that a woman’s place is in the home, the scariest reality is that we as women limit ourselves by our thoughts! Sandberg describes a time when she took a class with her brother and friend in which her brother rarely attended lecture but felt confident after an exam in which he had only studied the night before. Sandberg and her friend who regularly attended lecture were not too confident after the exam but along with her brother, they all received A’s on the exam.
How can that be? You see, women tend to underestimate their abilities and lack confidence about what they have to offer. We cite all our successes to luck and help from others and even from that success we believe that we are a fraud that is yet to be discovered. I cannot tell you how many times I have found myself in that situation: “Oh I did this well but wait until tomorrow, they are going to really see that I am not that qualified”, I quite often find myself thinking. So how can I blame someone else for not believing in me when I do not believe in myself?
It is extremely important to look internally into our beliefs and actions and be real with ourselves. Limiting beliefs are an incredible barrier to achieving any career or life goals. As a woman entering the workforce I think it is important to remember that you are just as qualified as anyone who has the same credentials as you do, man or woman. We should keep aspiring to be leaders in the world and our communities. Embrace challenge because that is the only way you will grow. Most importantly lean in! Continuously seek and take advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to you. Speak up and never hold back!