Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders

Link to Sheryl Sandberg's Talk: Why we have too few women leaders
Photo and Video provided by TED.

     In COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg’s TED Talk: Why we have too few women leaders, Sandberg empowers both men and women. While some women choose to blame men for our gender inequality issues, Sandberg takes the stance that we all need to work together to solve this problem. Sandberg’s talk mainly focuses on what women could and should be doing to improve the workplace for women, but she includes men throughout her talk as well.
     Sandberg’s speech is effective and empowering because of the way she presents her message. First, she begins by engaging the viewer with shocking statistics such as, “Out of 190 heads of states, 9 are women. Of all the people who are in parliament around the world, 13% are women” and several others. Then, she presents the problem: There are not enough women leaders. With the problem, she explains what she believes there to be 3 solutions. These include “One, sit at the table. Two, make your partner a real partner. And three, don't leave before you leave". (For a full explanation of these points, see the video above!) Her points are interesting, clear, and concise so it is easy for viewers to follow along and understand her reasoning.
     Sandberg’s talk is also effective because she connects with the viewer by telling personal stories. She reveals things about her self, such as the story about a woman calling her out for only calling on the men during the Q&A. By showing her personal flaws, and helping us all learn from them, she comes across as honest and approachable. I personally really enjoy Sandberg’s speaking style with the personal stories, statics, and facts she provides to reach her audience. Ultimately, she is helping educate any man or woman who is willing to listen and help improve the issue of too few women leaders.