Robin Roberts, Sheryl Sandberg Host Town Hall

Let's get to our series "women and work". As we mentioned sheryl sandberg here yesterday to tell us about her brand-new book "lean in: Women, work and the will to lead" to help women reach their full... See More

Let's get to our series "women and work". As we mentioned sheryl sandberg here yesterday to tell us about her brand-new book "lean in: Women, work and the will to lead" to help women reach their full potential in the workplace and the coo of facebook and i hosted a town haul here with a group of women. Well, see for yourself. How many of you feel that you kind of step back, that you don't lean in, that you don't ask to have that conversation with an executive to advance your careers? two hands there. Are you surprised at all, sheryl, by the response from this dynamic group of women? No, because I think the messages of lean in are so universal. As women we're twauth to downplay our success. My book can really honest about all the times in my life that i still feel insecure. I still don't always sit at every table but if we want to get more women into leadership roles we'll have to change that and that's what "lean in" is trying to do. Karen, where are you? After teaching for 20 years altogether I'd like to know how to make that career move. Such a great question. When you walk into that interview you'll sit on the other side of the table and you'll explain why you're the best person for the job and the thing about it is no one across the table will believe we can do it if we don't believe it so you have to know inside you can reach for that opportunity. I can tell you can do it with both hands, my friend. With so few women in powerful positions to serve as role models, how do we best encourage men to support women who aspire to leadership positions? So women do not get the same levels of mentorship and sponsorship men do and there's lots of reasons why. One, man and man at a bar, what does that look like, mentoring. Man and a woman at a bar, what does that look like? Date. 64% of managers in the u.S., male managers say they're nervous to be alone in the room with a men. Mentoring is all about being lone in a room with a woman. We need to make access equal. A lot of the discussion is work/life balance balancing the needs of parenthood with challenges at work. For women like myself who don't have children a lot of types we feel invisible in this conversation. How do we support women so we can all have better work life balance because we face the same challenge. Such a good question. When I was in business school i went to this panel on consulting careers and is there were married women and a single woman said I want to talk about work/life balance for me. She's like I don't have a kid to pick up from soccer. I need to go to a bar and the reason I need to go to a bar is I need to meet someone so that i can one day have a kid to pick up at soccer and I think we need to have a message your life is just as legitimate. Work/life balance is absolutely important for every single one of us including those of us would are I'm ashley. I work at a new york-based start-up and when I am in meetings although I'm sitting at the table I often feel like I'm not taken seriously. So if you could speak to that a little bit. So women are interrupted more than men. When women have an idea at a meeting often a man will say that sail idea later and then everyone will quote the man. So here's the best thing is we can help each other when that idea is not taken seriously at the meeting, you can say, you know, ashley just said that or that's just what ashley said that's what it's about. We need each other. This is not an isolated conversation. Wendy, wendy, what is your question for sheryl? As I've grown in my career i have received external acknowledgement and recognition, but it's very hard for me. I'm embarrassed. What advice do you have? As women we need to own our success. If you ask a man why he did something well he will take ownership of it and say I'm awesome. Right? You ask a woman, we'll say, we were lucky, help from others, we work hard. I want you the next time someone says how did something -- you'll be like because I earned it. We're not going to be able to do this on our own but together we're 50% of the population. There's almost nothing we can't do. And the conversation is ongoing.