Onyx Spring-Summer 2014

Taking a closer look at Women and Leadership “LEAN IN” By Betsy Wells Sheryl Sandberg

A group of women and men gather for an executive-level lunch meeting. After being encouraged to help themselves to lunch and take a seat, the men take their food and sit at the table while the women get their food last and sit in the chairs o to the side. Even after being encouraged to come sit at the table, the women remain where they are, seemingly outsiders throughout the meeting. is

scenario is just one of many that Sheryl Sandberg describes in her #1 National Best Seller, “Lean In.” Sandberg combines personal experiences and statistics to bring light to many gender issues present in today’s work world, issues that Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College President Dottie King thought were very relevant to SMWC as a women’s college.

“When I rst heard about the book, the national news was picking up on the fact that the author was making an assertion that at least part of the reason that women aren’t rising as high in corporate America and in other leadership positions lies within themselves,” said King. “And there were feminist groups that didn’t like that. ey wanted to blame it all on the culture and stereotypes and so on. I

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