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