Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

by Sheryl Sandberg

getting rid of these internal barriers is critical to gaining power.

Career progression often depends upon taking risks and advocating for oneself—

Start out by aiming high. Try—and try hard.

Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.

there is no perfect fit when you’re looking for the next big thing to do. You have to take opportunities and make an opportunity fit for you, rather than the other way around.

The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.”

acknowledge good fortune and thank the people who have helped us. No one accomplishes anything all alone.

in order to continue to grow and challenge myself, I have to believe in my own abilities.

The goal of a successful negotiation is to achieve our objectives and continue to have people like us.

having a better understanding of the other side leads to a superior outcome.

showing concern for the common good, even as they negotiate for themselves, will strengthen their position.

Focusing on the team leads to better results for the simple reason that well-functioning groups are stronger than individuals.

when you want to change things, you can’t please everyone. If you do please everyone, you aren’t making enough progress.

I thought about calling you and telling you all of the things I’m good at and all of the things I like to do. Then I figured that everyone was doing that. So instead, I want to ask you: What is your biggest problem, and how can I solve it?”

“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, you don’t ask what seat. You just get on.”

letting the other side make the first offer is often crucial to achieving favorable terms.

The cost of stability is often diminished opportunities for growth.

Seeking out diverse experiences is useful preparation for leadership.

shift from thinking “I’m not ready to do that” to thinking “I want to do that—and I’ll learn by doing it.”

Taking risks, choosing growth, challenging ourselves, and asking for promotions (with smiles on our faces, of course) are all important elements of managing a career.

people invest in those who stand out for their talent or who can really benefit from help. Mentors continue to invest when mentees use their time well and are truly open to feedback.

Asking for input is not a sign of weakness but often the first step to finding a path forward.

Communication works best when we combine appropriateness with authenticity, finding that sweet spot where opinions are not brutally honest but delicately honest.

Rarely is there one absolute truth, so people who believe that they speak the truth are very silencing of others.

When we recognize that we can see things only from our own perspective, we can share our views in a nonthreatening way. Statements of opinion are always more constructive in the first person “I” form.

reflecting someone’s viewpoint clarifies the disagreement and becomes a starting point for resolution.

We can try to guess what they’re thinking, but asking directly is far more effective.

Feedback is an opinion, grounded in observations and experiences, which allows us to know what impression we make on others.

the upside of painful knowledge is so much greater than the downside of blissful ignorance.

Motivation comes from working on things we care about. It also comes from working with people we care about.

“Done is better than perfect.” I have tried to embrace this motto and let go of unattainable standards. Aiming for perfection causes frustration

paying them for the quality of their work, not for the hours they work.

Throwing up our hands and saying “It can’t be done” ensures that it will never be done.