While she has her critics, Sheryl Sandberg nailed this interview on NPR’s All Things Considered yesterday.
The Facebook executive, mother of two and author of Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead lost her husband two years ago. She is back with a new book and a new initiative to help people who are grieving.
In this interview she opens up, and she is honest. She says, “Want to silence a room?” Get diagnosed with cancer, lose a child, get fired. People don’t know how to discuss these issues openly and that often leads to people saying nothing at all. This is something she is working to change.
She taught me something. Everyone always asks what you need when you are grieving, but you don’t actually know what you need. She says just show up and do anything. For example, when a friend of hers lost a child, a friend texted him saying, “I’m in the lobby of your hospital for an hour for a hug whether you come down or not.” She goes on to say, don’t offer to make someone dinner. Say, “I know you are going through a tough time, I made you dinner, is it okay if I come by?”
She admitted she was wrong. When she wrote Lean In she admits she didn’t consider how hard it was for single parents and she recognizes that in this interview.
Most importantly, she was herself and she was genuine. So much so, that when I arrived at daycare, I stayed in the car until the interview was over. I can’t tell you the last time I did that.