I thought that the quote that Monica used by Sheryl Sandberg was exceptionally powerful. I have wanted to read Lean In for quite some time now. I have never considered the internal aspect that can be quite disempowering for women, in which we conform to societal norms of how we are supposed to act. Furthermore, if women do succeed and achieve an elite position of leadership, they tend to experience the “imposter syndrome,” which is likely due to years of societal pressure (Grace, 2018). Therefore, if women succeed in a male-dominated role, they may not feel entitled to it. I found the specific quote by Sheryl Sandberg to be powerful, “Young women internalize societal cues about what defines “appropriate behaviour and, in turn, silence themselves” (Grace, 2018). In my personal experience, I often find myself not speaking up because I feel that someone likely has a better answer or solution that I do, so this quote was very empowering for me. Evidently, this is something that I will need to overcome in my leadership journey if I ever want to have influence in an organization or impact in the world.
In response to Monica’s question: “Why do you think is it so hard for women in the workplace to be seen and/or accepted as powerful?” I believe that it is difficult for women to be accepted as powerful because it transcends deeply entrenched beliefs of women’s role in society that are found in cultural, political and social institutions (Hawley, 2016). There are societal norms that have been reinforced for centuries, since they are incredibly subtle and indeterminate, it is difficult to eliminate them because they are embedded in virtually every sphere of influence. Thank you for the post, Monica!
Christina
References
Grace, M. (2018, Nov 17). Activity 1-External and Internal Barriers. Retrieved on November 18, 2018, from https://create.twu.ca/monicagrace/2018/11/17/activity-1-external-and-internal-barriers/
Hawley, J. (2016, Feb 2). Why women’s empowerment is essential for sustainability development. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from https://www.iied.org/why-womens-empowerment-essential-for-sustainable-development