Lean In or Stand Up Straight?

To be serious for a second, this is a shout out to the working moms out there.  As you have heard unless you have been completely off the radar for the last 3 weeks, there is a lot of buzz over Sheryl Sandberg's new book "Lean In: Women, Work and The Will to Lead".

The buzz runs the gammit from all-out praise to all-out vengeance.  I've always been one to want to see all sides - I applaud Sheryl for bringing the issue of women in the workplace to the forefront, highlighting the fact that it's still a man's world and equal pay for equal work still has a LONG way to go in this country.  But, I also understand those who say heeding advice from a billionaire with an army of staff at home doesn't make any sense to the rest of us.

So with this very personally relevant topic, I've gathered up a few of the most interesting perspectives that I've read to share with you.

The Male Perspective - This article from the Harvard Business Review provides a great analysis of key points from a male point of view.

The Tax Perspective - Check out this article in the New York Times about tax impacts of child care.

The Cheeky Perspective - Hey, if you want to Lean In, you're going to need a wife first. Check it out here.

The Balance Perspective - This article really struck me most (seriously) - most of us want balance.  Challenging, enriching work and flexibility to be a great mom, daughter, wife, neighbor.

In the end, each person has to find what works best for them.  I have some friends who are content stay-at-home moms, others who continue to climb and will conquer the corporate ladder.  The other 90% of my friends want some of both.  I started the book today - look for follow up coming soon....

Heather