I love listening to people speak. In college, I had the opportunity to hear Maya Angelou speak and was completely transformed. So it’s no big surprise that I love TED Talks. And the one that Sheryl Sandberg gave at TEDWomen was no exception.
She spoke about something I’ve thought a lot about myself: professional women and the choices we are often forced to make between professional success and personal fulfillment. She felt that this was directly correlated with the lack of women leaders in the corporate world. And I have to agree. I know for me, part of the reason I am so gung-ho about making a successful living as a coach or writer or speaker or teacher is because one day I’d like to have kids and when I do, I want to be able to live a life that allows me to be present in their tiny lives. But on the flip side, I also want to be masterful coach or writer or speaker or teacher – one who is in high demand. Already my future aspirations are coming into conflict with spending time with my future wee ones.
Sheryl, who is a mother of two and the COO of Facebook, boiled it down to 3 main points if you are a professional woman wanting to make it to the top of your industry. But I think that these points are important for all women to take note of whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or designing your own career.
- Sit at the table - Women are much more prone to downplaying their achievements and putting themselves on the sideline. Make sure that you’re sitting at the table and making yourself heard. Remember to strut your stuff.
- Make your partner a partner – Even in situations where both parents work, women still end up shouldering the lion share of household tasks. Which means they are working 2 or even 3 jobs to their husband’s 1. Sheryl emphasizes making sure that you have a supportive partner so you can level the playing field at home.
- Don’t leave before you leave -I thought this was the most important point. Oftentimes women begin taking their foot off the gas well before they actually have children. In the same way that I’m already planning for a life with children, many women may stop going out for big promotions or higher visibility gigs because in the back of their minds they’re already preparing for a family. Keep full speed ahead until it’s time to make the choice.
Of course not every woman is planning on being a working mother or becoming the next CEO of their company, but I think it’s still important to fully maximize everything you’d like to achieve in your professional life. And Sheryl gives us some excellent tips to do so.
What do you think? I’d really love to hear your opinion on women having to choose between personal and professional fulfillment!
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