06 Dec 13

December Book of the Month from Kylie Bishop

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

This book has rightly commanded a huge readership and much commentary. It is one of my favourite “business” books for a long time, not the least because I have seen it drive people to action.

It served as a reminder to me to seize the day and start Incredible U; I have gifted it to female staff and know a number of fellow CEOs who have done the same and I was proud to be at a meeting where a good friend of mine requested that the guest speaker’s assistant sit up at the table with us rather than at the side of the room.

Sheryl reminds us of the many things that can influence whether a woman will reach her full potential or not. Some of them happen to us but many of them come out of habits we have formed ourselves. From leaning away from an opportunity rather than leaning in to it; to leaving a position before we’ve actually left; from down playing our successes to up scaling our potential failures; from accepting inequality to not taking fellow women to the top with us.

It is full of real and sometimes humorous anecdotes with her points supported by data and research.

You will feel yourself nodding along and collecting tips on how we could unite to create workplaces where men and women all reach professional achievement and personal fulfilment. Now that’s a movement I am proud to be part of!