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

stretch assignments and take on high-visibility projects,

Every so often, Clara would contact me, always with an interesting point or a thoughtful question. She never asked to get together to “catch up.” She never asked a question that she could have found the answer to on her own.

A more junior woman (or man) can also intervene in the situation when a female colleague has been interrupted. She can gently but firmly tell the group, “Before we move on, I’d like to hear what [senior woman] had to say.” This action not only benefits the senior woman but can raise the stature of the junior woman as well, since speaking up for som

it’s better to focus on specific problems with real solutions. Most people in the position to mentor are quite adept at problem solving.

I try to set more personal goals for learning new skills in the next eighteen months. It’s often painful, but I ask myself, “How can I improve?” If I am afraid to do something, it is usually because I am not good at it or perhaps am too scared even to try.

We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.

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

Once the facilitator taught me The Ask—how to speak up and demonstrate clearly how my contributions justified recognition—I was promoted and then went on to double my salary and bonuses within three years.

(Although Fred would caution my son to take out the “but” and everything after, since it tends to deny the preceding statement.