- Geekmaster
- 2020-10-10 10:27:35
- 13 minute(s)
Sheryl Sandberg Leadership Style & Principles
What are the core leadership principles of Sheryl Sandberg? How did she achieve her awesome results as a leader when working for Facebook? How could we define her leadership style and what are the pinpoints of it?
Clearly, Sheryl Sandberg knows a thing or two about leadership.
Certain leadership qualities of Sheryl Sandberg have enabled her to truly distinguish herself, and they are qualities that are worth emulating for any leader. She operates in a truly global enterprise, and is highly adept at leading across cultures and territories.
Sheryl Sandberg is the bestselling author of Lean In, she has been an inspiring figure to men and women alike, who strive to be successful.
If you have ever watched her videos on Ted, Sheryl Sandberg is sure to amaze you with her wit, courage and beauty. She personifies the deceptively simple Facebook mission statement of making the world more open and connected, particular in terms of female empowerment.
Sheryl Sandberg is a self-made billionaire and the Chief Operating Office of Facebook. She also happens to be an excellent leader and manager.
WarningMark Zuckerberg may be on his way of becoming the richest person, but when it is about influencing in the world of politics and business, Sheryl Sandberg’s overshadows his.
A leader plays a key role in growth of the organization and people of the company.
These are the highly influential people in decision making, progression and most of all in development of any strategy, process or innovation. Since 2008 Sheryl Sandberg has worked as COO of Facebook, and has transformed its approach to advertising and sales.
Today worth an estimated $1.8+ billion, Sheryl Sandberg is one of America’s most influential executives, and was named by Time magazine in 2012 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
I have been in the business world for 20+ years and I often get asked about what it takes to have effective leadership skills. My experience led me to select Sheryl Sandberg’s effective leadership to this five core skills and guiding principles that most successful leaders all share. When you read over, you will actually wonder, how these five key points will teach you countless lessons.
Charisma Is Not Enigmatic
Charismatic leaders tend to work with people amongst all odds. They will be admired for their dedication, decision making and relation building. These leaders bring in a lot of positive aura in any scenario.
Charismatic leadership is basically encouraging particular behaviors in others by way of eloquent communication, persuasion and force of personality.
Sheryl Sandberg has proven to be a charismatic leader in connecting with people from her experience and ensuring to extend support for present employer.
Charismatic leaders are communicators who are extremely skilled.
These individuals are very eloquent verbally and they have the ability to communicate with the people they lead on a profound, emotional level. One of the advantages of charismatic leadership is the ability of these individuals to articulate a captivating or compelling vision.
Sheryl Sandberg’s charisma as a leader is undeniable. She has exceptional connections to keep her employer always assured about all kinds of support whenever the employer needs one.
Facebook had issues to resolve with PayPal. Whenever this kind of situation arose Sheryl Sandberg would contact directly the owner company of PayPal — eBay. This way it was easier for Facebook to resolve all issues.
Sheryl Sandberg is all about team effort. She speaks fondly of every team she has joined from Google to Facebook and others. Team spirit has even been at the very heart of her motivation to write the book Lean In and launch the Lean In movement.
The charismatic leadership style relies on the charm and persuasiveness of the leader. Charismatic leaders are driven by their convictions and commitment to their cause.
WarningCharismatic leaders also are sometimes called transformational leaders because they share multiple similarities but their main difference is focus and audience. Charismatic leaders often try to make the status quo better, while transformational leaders focus on transforming organizations into the leader’s vision.
Successful charismatic leaders are also compassionate.
Charisma alone may not be enough, because there’s a very real possibility that it can disintegrate into merely hero worship. Compassion, integrity, honesty, and fortitude are also qualities that successful charismatic leaders exhibit.
Stand For More Than Yourself
Sheryl Sandberg’s books and thought leadership have revolved around women, women in the workplace, and more recently — resilience and how to tackle challenges.
Sheryl Sandberg is a leader with a big social impact. Her impact was observed during her book-writing of ‘Lean In’.
WarningHer worst time in her life was when she lost her husband. Despite this heavy social loss, she did not give in to depression and worked hard to come out of it. This positive way of thinking creates a lot of social impact in a society. But Sheryl Sandberg never lost her spirit.
The best leaders are the ones that truly make a dent in the universe. They serve as stewards for a greater cause, and the messenger often lives the message.
Sheryl Sandberg has raised her voice on the plight of women, especially mothers. She encourages women to be more proactive in their career by stepping up. She wants people to change their perspective on women.
It goes well beyond a job title. Personal branding is not an exercise in vanity or how many likes or Instagram followers you have because while they are useful metrics in determining reach, they aren’t the heart of a sound brand.
Sheryl Sandberg is a leader of exceptional vision of the future. She always tries to envision future situations and makes plan for that.
When she left Google for Facebook, it had only 550 employees in 2008. Yet, she thought that it was the correct move. She had a plan for Facebook’s future growth. Her appointment in the organization changed it and now it stands as one of the top companies in the world.
One of Sheryl’s leadership traits is critical thinking. She is always thinking about future and working on the present to shape the future.
She does not only prepare people to succeed positions after others, she also prepares people who will be succeeding after them. She is always 3 steps ahead of others.
Be Relentlessly Ambitious
In her career, Sheryl Sandberg has always kept her eyes on big goals. She’s never backed down because of fear or intimidation. That’s evident in her accomplishments and role as COO at Facebook.
Sheryl Sandberg values ambition and personal fulfillment so highly that she hopes to use the Lean In movement to help others overcome their fears and succeed too.
WarningDespite those who reject her ideas, Sheryl Sandberg sticks to her guns. She doesn’t let critics, or her own insecurities stand in the way. She believes more women should come forward and take charge.
Sheryl Sandberg is an optimist. She never backs down.
She follows what she believes and does her best to abide by her own principles. She is always calling out to women to take a seat at the table which means take on a leadership role not just be a mother at home.
There is no way of ceasing hardships. Ideal happy life is hypothetical.
Sheryl Sandberg laid focus on the three P’s of life: Personalization, Pervasiveness and Permanence that she learnt from death. One should never feel guilty for anything wrong that happens in life if it is not under his/her control.
Irrespective of how much you try to regain mental strength, sadness will never depart. Grief is permanent. Instead of tangling ourselves into this never-ending sadness, one should accept that they will not last forever. This is the greatest lesson by Sheryl Sandberg. She talks about something which everyone faces, but no one thinks of it beforehand.
One reason why power comes to you is self-confidence. Remember that doing nothing is always a (bad) option.
WarningThere are moments when you feel you are not worthy of anything and you cannot take it more. Being an entrepreneur, if you lose self-confidence, the entire chain of people below you will collapse. Being confident and believing in your own self-worth is necessary in achieving your potential.
Self-awareness is a very important skill of a leader such as Sheryl Sandberg. This skill helps Sheryl to know her problems and situations better.
With this skill she can balance her work and personal life. Her awareness helps her notice things about the people around her and she can then promptly take decisions based on that information to improve her situation.
Influence Is My Essence
Influencing people in their choices, decision making or their personal lives is one of the important traits that a leader can exhibit. This trait implies that a leader can set the individual for success or for failure too.
A leader can influence only when he/she can relate to the situation or position.
Sheryl Sandberg’s thesis (Lean In) is that women’s career advancement has been hindered not just by sex discrimination, but also by their own desire to be liked; hesitancy to assert themselves; and relationships with their husbands and partners.
Bring the steak. Just don’t forget the sizzle. Many leaders focus their entire careers on adding value but they forget sharing and showcasing the value and the journey to getting there.
Sheryl Sandberg is a master at both. She clearly does the work and has turned Facebook into a profitable company (the steak), and she very much documents and shares her challenges and accomplishments (the sizzle). Let’s face it.
Being 7th in the list of world’s most powerful woman, (Forbes, 2016) she has set a path and direction for current and future generation. Her way of influencing Zuckerberg in embedding ad sales in Facebook pages, is one of the key changes in Facebook’s vision.
One big shift I’ve seen and believe this trend will continue, is that companies are now seeing the value and are often investing for their key leaders to build their personal brand.
Sheryl Sandberg’s increased profile visibility has been an asset for Facebook. In an era where investors and consumers alike were cautious of Mark Zuckerberg’s youth and style, she served to provide comfort and stability.
A rising tide raises all boats. Sheryl Sandberg has been a huge champion for Facebook, and as her star has risen, as has Facebook’s.
WarningBuilding a personal brand isn’t about vanity or narcissism. Far from it, it is about documenting and sharing your lessons and empowering others while creating a credible platform for yourself. Sheryl Sandberg consciously invests in building her personal brand — from PR to speaking to authoring books.
Be Human
Sheryl Sandberg follows a transformational leadership style. By definition it is to establishing connection with people at an individual level. This increases motivation among the people she works with.
Coming down from the high stage and socializing with the others makes her more human and that helps people around her to work harder and live by her example.
When she first joined Facebook, she went to every desk and met every employee, introduced herself and asked personally what they want to see changed in the organization. She learned about their expectations and supported them.
As a leader she likes to act human and show vulnerability and that way she can connect to more people.
WarningEntrepreneurs must learn to express gratitude to those who support them in reaching the zenith. Being thankful shows your humility, and your love towards people. If you are humble enough, you reach out better.
Her compassion was visible back in her early career when she chose a path of public service in the government. In an Inc interview, she talks about the power of technology to help people connect and how that ability has improved people’s lives. She wanted to be a part of something powerful in changing lives for the better. Sheryl is compassionate, funny, honest and likable.
Be a human, not a robot. Sometimes leaders reveal a fear that they won’t be able to express their true identities or that will lead to a loss of privacy.
Sheryl Sandberg proves this is not founded as she continues to balance vulnerability with professionalism. The key here is to see your experiences through the lens of how they may benefit others.
Empathy and gratitude help Sheryl to understand people around her.
She can empathize with her team of talented people and also the people in the market. Sharing credit is important for a leader. To keep her people motivated, a leader shows gratitude and says thanks and this helps her people work harder for their next success.
Final Thoughts
It is observed that Sheryl Sandberg has been one of the strongest woman leaders of current era. Most influential, powerful and visionary leader. She has inspired women to take up careers.
Sheryl Sandberg wants women to transform and become future leaders.
Sheryl Sandberg is undoubtedly a transformational leader, who is a visionary, charismatic, inspiring, communicating and innovative in her approach with people and organization.
Sheryl Sandberg is a great leader who believes in transformation of people. She loves her work, and her people.
She gives encouragement to her people. She is lone fighter who is fighting the world to make it better for women. She encourages women to take lead instead of just going back to the safe heaven called home.
Leadership isn’t a cookie cutter word. The term doesn’t only refer to men. And leadership takes courage.
WarningBeing able to influence change involves taking time to understand one’s personal values, processing feelings effectively, efficiently working in teams, communicating openly and being persistent in seeking growth. These are qualities everyone is capable of attaining.
Leadership is not outside of any person’s grasp. In Sheryl Sandberg’s words, the question is “What would you do, if you weren’t afraid?”
My message to you isn’t that you need to be Sheryl Sandberg. Instead, it’s to urge you to take a look at how you can apply the lessons of a very astute and clever woman who clearly knows where the puck is heading.
The way Sheryl Sandberg finds glitter in every tiny thing, agreeing to the fact that “Everything that glitters is not gold” is breathtaking.
This is life. It’s uncertain. You should try to overcome these uncertainties, which will certainly come in everyone’s life.
Leaders play a key role in our workplaces and societies, and while many may not be prepared to lead, all those who hold seats of power and authority have the ability to shape our day to day experiences.
A simple reminder … leadership, like swimming, cannot be learned by reading about it … it takes lots of consistent practice. Sheryl Sandberg stands by this. Aren’t these words inspiring and worth taking lessons from? If so, leave a comment to let us know!
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