Every young woman should hear this graduation speech! Please find 20 minutes, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down with your daughters and sons to watch Sheryl Sandberg’s commencement address to Barnard graduates. As the COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg has a unique world view and a wealth of experience. In this candid speech, she shares important messages and advice from the top and from her heart! What a heartfelt call to action for young women to step up, lean into their chosen careers, and run the world!
A few of my favorite quotes from Sheryl Sandberg…”The promise of equality is not equality.”
“We will never close the achievement gap until we close the ambition gap. But if all young women start to lean in, we can close the ambition gap right here, right now, if every single one of you leans in. Leadership belongs to those who take it. Leadership starts with you.”
“It may sound counter intuitive, but the most important career decision you’re going to make is whether or not you have a life partner and who that partner is. If you pick someone who’s willing to share the burdens and the joys of your personal life, you’re going to go further. A world where men ran half our homes and women ran half our institutions would be just a much better world. I have a six-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. I want more choices for both of them. I want my son to have the choice to be a full partner not just at work, but at home; and I want my daughter to have a choice to do either. But if she chooses work, to be well-liked for what she accomplishes. We can’t wait for the term “work/life balance” to be something that’s not just discussed at women’s conferences.
You can read the full transcript here at Business Insider Silicon Alley.
Suzy Ogé is an American born business woman living in The Hague, The Netherlands. 