Want some career advice from Sheryl Sandberg? Good news for those of you without an in–the Facebook (META) COO has written a book about women and leadership. AllThingsD reports that Ms. Sandberg has signed a deal with the publisher Knopf, for something titled Lean In. It’s due to hit shelves sometime in 2013–presumably in the spring, so every single woman graduating from anything anywhere in America can receive a gift copy.
Perhaps we now have yet another reason she insists on leaving work at 5:30 on the dot every day?
Concerned it’ll be nothing but fuzzy lady logic, wrapped up in feelings and topped with a girl-power bow? AllThingsD reports the book will be a “call to action,” built on research and data. This is the den mom who civilized the Facebook frat house, folks.
Ms. Sandberg offered ATD a teaser of the subject matter:
“I believe that the world would be a better place if half our institutions were run by women, and half our homes were run by men,” said Sandberg in an email to me earlier this week. “The book contains practical advice for women — and the men who want to help them — on how to lean in and close the gap.”
Also worth considering is this line from one of the many speeches she’s given recently:
“So, my heartfelt message is: Don’t leave before you leave. Don’t lean back, lean in. Keep your foot on the gas pedal until the day you have to make a decision. That’s the only way to ensure you even have a decision to make.”
While we’re on the subject: Whither the Facebook book boom? So far it’s just Sandberg and one-time ghostwriter Katherine Losse. Is the publishing industry yet another victim of Facebook’s underwhelming IPO?