Do Sheryl Sandberg’s theories apply to the PR field?

In her new book, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg claims women don’t reach executive positions because they prefer to be liked rather than powerful. Does her theory apply to PR?

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The thesis of the book is essentially this: Women don’t occupy as many executive positions as they could because they hold themselves back. They prefer to be liked rather than powerful.

“As a man gets more successful, he is better liked by men and women, and as a woman gets more successful, she is less liked by men and women,” Sandberg told NPR. “But I want to be clear: I am not saying that men are too self-confident. That’s not the problem. The problem is that women aren’t self-confident enough.”

PR Daily asked women who hold executive positions at PR and communications firms whether they think Sandberg’s assertions are well-founded.

Are PR and communications different?

In the world of big business, women certainly are a minority when it comes to leadership positions. In November, a mere 21 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies were women.

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