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Apr 2, 2013, 11:03pm PDT Updated: Apr 3, 2013, 6:54am PDT

Sheryl Sandberg on manager advice, 'Lean In' men, and first-date don'ts

Shana Lynch

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg spoke at Stanford Tuesday night on her book and social movement "Lean In." After the talk, fans gathered around her to get autographs, take photos and hand her business cards.

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Shana Lynch: Managing Editor- Silicon Valley Business Journal; Email | Twitter | Google+

If you asked Sheryl Sandberg if she was a feminist a few years ago, she admits she probably would have said no.
Today, she’s embraced the moniker. In fact, she might have created the next wave with her book, “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead ” and the movement it has launched.
The book – topping best-sellers lists - has been translated into 24 languages and localized for every country. Some 120,000 people are active on LeanIn.org, the book's accompanying website. (Condoleezza Rice is the latest heavyhitter to lend her voice to the site’s stories.) And Cisco CEO John Chambers released a memo to his top management, telling them to read "Lean In" and send him the ways they’ll better manage women.

Do you think 'Lean In' will be a sea change or a passing fad? Vote in our survey here.

Sandberg spoke at Stanford for the Clayman Institute's lecture series Tuesday night, where she told a sold-out crowd of nearly 600 people the drum beat she’s been sharing with audiences across the nation: Women need to break the stereotypes that keep them from excelling. They need to take a seat at the table. They need to quit leaving mentally before they’ve really left.
She also offered up some good suggestions for managers, "Lean In" men, and women on first dates. Here’s the overview:

Management must talk about family plans

Too many managers avoid the topic, Sandberg notes. We don’t ask women about their interest in starting families, whether we’re worried we’re stepping over legal boundaries or simply avoiding potentially uncomfortable conversations. But those conversations can help keep women engaged if they realize they won’t lose their jobs or plum assignments because they want kids.