Never does a day go by at the Lycée Français when we who have the privilege of working here do not learn something extraordinary from our students. In my own case, that learning happens more often in the context of stairwell, hallway and lunchroom conversations than it does in the midst of a classroom discussion, but I am constantly impressed by their deep understanding of the world around them and equally deep conviction that history is a tale of progress. Take any subject, I frequently hear from our students, and you will see that the world has gotten better over time, they insist.
So when I brought up the theme of the book I am currently reading with one of our students yesterday afternoon, I was more delighted than surprised by the thoughts which she kindly shared with me. After I asked her about the book over which she herself was pouring, my young interlocutor very politely asked me if I too were reading something at the moment, to which I replied with a resounding yes. I say resounding only because I have been talking about this book with colleagues, friends and family almost non-stop for the past few weeks and was eager to discuss it further. The book in question? Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer at Facebook.
480 out the 500 most important chief executive officer positions around the globe are filled by men
That sounds interesting, she responded with the courtesy so characteristic of our students, though I don’t understand the first part of the title, she added. Rest assured, I answered, having just moved to the United States, I too am just discovering what the verb “to lean in” means. But first some background, I said. The book opens with some harrowing statistics about what Sandberg calls the “blunt truth”, namely the fact that most leadership positions around the globe are held by men rather than women. 480 out the 500 most important chief executive officer positions in the world are filled by men. 80% of congressional seats in the United States are occupied by men. And the list of gender-based inequities goes on.
When women are in the midst of building their professional lives, it is important for them never to be “pulling back when [they] should be leaning in.”
But that’s changing, Mr. Lynch, rejoined our young reader with words along the lines of “look at the Lycée Français. Girls and boys are equal here. There are lots of girl leaders in our school.” You’re right, I replied. Yet how do we explain the difference between what is happening inside the Lycée Français and what seems to be happening outside school? Simple, replied our student. Parents and our teachers are always encouraging us to speak up for ourselves. Hmmm, you sound like you’ve read my book, I laughed. Your point is exactly what I think the author is trying to express with the verb “to lean in”.
Indeed, Lean In is very much about how when women are in the process of building their professional lives, it is important, in Sandberg’s words, for them never to be “pulling back when [they] should be leaning in.”* If there are societal obstacles to the equality of opportunity, and this exceptionally accomplished executive identifies many such hurdles in her compelling book, it is essential not to magnify those impediments by adding “internal barriers” too, barriers like the acceptance of gender stereotypes that deplete the confidence and conviction which all should have in their dreams. I’m really happy to hear that you’re learning to lean in, I said to our student. In doing so, you most definitely are improving the world.
*Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead (New York, New York, 2013), p. 8
About the Author :
Sean Lynch was Head of School at the Lycée Français de New York from 2011 to 2018, after having spent 15 years at another French bilingual school outside of Paris: the Lycée International de St. Germain-en-Laye. Holding both French and American nationalities, educated in France (Sciences Po Paris) and the United States (Yale), and as the proud husband of a French-American spouse and father of two French-American daughters, Sean Lynch has spent his entire professional and personal life at the junction between the languages, cultures and educational systems of France and the United States. In addition to being passionate about education, he loves everything related to the mountains, particularly the Parc National du Mercantour.