A new kind of novel to spark discussion and change

Professional women are tired of being told to just "lean in".

What about...

• the challenges that make it harder for women to lean in,
• the unequal rewards and penalties when they do, and
• the fact that “leaning in and acting more like men” ignores the stereotypically feminine traits needed for modern leadership?

Beyond Leaning In tells the story of Debra, a pioneering CEO in her early 60s who is much beloved by her team at her growing start-up. But sales are declining, and her strongest women leaders are departing one after the other.

It isn’t until she enlists the “reverse mentorship” of the much younger Cassandra that Debra begins to understand the challenges the next generation of women leaders face and the impact on the bottom line. But can she respond fast enough to save her company and her job?

Beyond Leaning In is a different kind of business book - based on research, but told as a novel and designed to spark discussion among friends, family, classmates, and co-workers across genders and generations.

Through the perspective of female and male characters across generations, listeners gain new insights about why gender gaps are so hard to close despite our best intentions. We are inspired to think differently about what both individuals and organizations must do to ensure all employees thrive.