Take a Seat at the Table

The recent TED – Ideas Worth Spreading video featuring Sheryl Sandberg is going viral and that’s great in my opinion because she addresses why we have too few women leaders in the career world. As the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl manages the social media giant’s sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy and communications.

It is a massive job and Sheryl is thriving in this role after other successful stints with Google, the World Bank, and her Chief of Staff position at the US Treasury Department. She is also a wife and the mother of two small children under the age of 6.

In addition to managing the hyper-growth of Facebook and her personal life, Sheryl shared the sad reality that women are not achieving top level positions worldwide in all career sectors. “The numbers have not changed since 2002 and they are going in the wrong direction.” according to Sheryl.

Out of 190 heads of state – only 9 are women. In the corporate world, only 16% of women hold C-Level positions and in parliament worldwide, only 13% of these posts are held by women. Even the non-profit sector, which has the impression of being more women friendly, is populated with only 20% of women in leading roles.

Today women have career choices and options. She noted that a recent study of American companies reported that 2/3 of male senior managers who were married had children – while only1/3 of female senior managers who were married had kids.

So how do we change these numbers at the top and create new opportunities for women? Sheryl was clear to share that she believes women need to stay in the workforce (if they wish to do so) since so many drop-out because the career is not feasible while trying to raise a family, for example. While her message was without judgment, she was clear with 3 action steps that women can implement now so we can collectively change the message and be visible and present in the workforce on our terms as mothers, wives, and empowered career women. This may not be applicable to all, but if you are serious about focusing on your career – Sheryl’s 3 action steps are worth considering.

1. Sit at the Table

Nobody gets to the corner office by sitting on the sidelines. Women systematically underestimate their abilities and dis-empower themselves by being overly modest or humble while men proudly showcase their strengths and are rarely viewed as boastful. Own your strengths with confidence and attribute your success to yourself. Sheryl also spoke of success and likability and how this correlates positively for most men and negatively for women. It’s up to women to take a confident seat at the table and negotiate for their salaries as well as their well deserved place in the organization.

2. Make Your Partner a Real Partner

If a man and woman with children both work full time, studies indicate that the woman does more than half the housework and 3 times more childcare provision than her spouse. So she has 3 jobs and he has 1 and often times the woman drops out of the career to take over the job of running the house and family. While working inside the home is the hardest job on the planet, according to Sheryl, we must even things out so women are empowered to stay in the workforce if they want to do so. Studies show that partners with equal level jobs and equal earning have half the divorce rate of their uneven counterparts. You do the math.

3. Don’t Leave Before You Leave

Keep your foot on the gas pedal until you need to leave. Even if you are planning to have a family, don’t leave the zone until it’s time to leave. Keep the challenge and reward in your job until the very day that you decide to leave.

If you have not yet seen Sheryl’s inspirational Ted talk you can access it via this web link. http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders.html Own your own success, keep your hand up and be heard, and reach for opportunities. A world with half of our women as leaders would be an exciting place indeed!