Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer for Facebook and founder of LeanIn.org, and is regarded as a successful both in and out of the tech world.
So whenever she starts dolling out career advice, people start paying attention.
On Tuesday, Sandberg was asked by Quora user Courtney Ross what advice she would give to her younger self.
Not only did Sandberg respond thoughtfully, but she gave Ross and other curious Quora users three things she would tell her younger self: Do what you love, believe you can do anything, and “there is no straight path to where you are going.”
“As Pattie Sellers of Fortune Magazine says, careers are not ladders but jungle gyms,” Sandberg wrote. “You don't have to have it all figured out.”
She recommends having a long-term, abstract dream to work towards in addition to a more concrete 18-month plan. The long-term plan allows you to dream big while the short-term plan forces you to push yourself and think about how you want to get better over the next year and a half.
“Ask yourself how you can improve and what you’re afraid to do,” she said, adding “that’s usually the thing you should try.”
And for women especially, Sandberg said not only is it possible to have a fulfilling professional and personal life, but that you should never let anyone tell you otherwise.
Sandberg is well known for giving pointed advice, both to her employees as well as in her 2013 book, “Lean In.” Kim Scott has spoken about how helpful Sandberg was as a boss as Google thanks to her candor and Sandberg herself has said that women who join her “Lean In” circles “get raises. They get new jobs. They run for office.”
Check out Sandberg’s full answer on Quora about her advice to her younger self below.
Find work you love. When you believe in what you are doing, you can combine passion with contribution – and that is a true gift. Keep trying and you will find what you love to do… and once you do, you will crush it.
Believe you can do anything. This is important for everyone and especially for women. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t have both a meaningful professional career and a fulfilling personal life. When you hear someone say you can't do something, know that you can and start figuring out how. Ask yourself, “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?”
There is no straight path to where you are going. If you try to draw that line you will not just get it wrong, but you will miss big opportunities. As Pattie Sellers of Fortune Magazine says, careers are not ladders but jungle gyms. You don't have to have it all figured out. I recommend adopting two concurrent goals:
- A long-term dream: It doesn't have to be realistic or even specific. For example, you might say you want to work in a specific field, travel the world, have more free time. Even a vague goal can provide direction.
- An 18-month plan: Set personal goals for what you want to learn in the next year and a half. Ask yourself how you can improve and what you're afraid to do (that's usually the thing you should try).
