The biggest obstacle to women taking on more leadership roles is not a lack of self-confidence. It is women who don’t support other women. Sheryl Sandberg talks about the lack of support that women give one another; as well as the envy that women hold for other women who succeed. But she seems to miss the point. It will not be possible for women to “lean-in” to leadership roles until women support one another. There is no glass ceiling for women to break through until the proverbial rung-less ladder — which far too many women encounter — is breached. Getting there requires a leg-up from women who are already above.
Suzanne de van der Schueren, Bainbridge Island, WA