From lean in to lean on

Regardless of what you thought of the book with the same title, lean in has become part of the corporate lexicon thanks to Sheryl Sandberg. It’s used in all sorts of ways, mostly around leaning in to have important but perhaps discomforting conversations.

But those within patriarchal cultures (and therefore part of the often individualistic social outlook it lives by) struggle with what I see as the next step after leaning in.

Once ‘in,’ it’s often critical to lean on others. It’s here where trust is formed, new perspectives can move from heard to absorbed, and the power of community begins to manifest.