Leaning out
It was day two of my stay-at-home PTO. This is the time off that isn’t for traveling or relaxing, but — as I told my group chat — to be a housewife.
And over three days, I was productive: I decluttered a closet, replaced a broken appliance, and even enjoyed a Pilates class at 11 a.m. Not only did I accomplish goals that had gotten dusty on my to-do list, but I also noticed other positive benefits. I listened more to my children and felt more present.
As an executive, I immediately wanted to repeat this: three days at the start of every quarter to simply be a housewife.
It’s just one solution for what so many millennial women and mothers are trying to figure out as they climb the corporate ladder. While some are experimenting with balance, like me, others are simply leaning out altogether.
Business Insider’s Julia Pugachevsky spoke to women in corporate America who, instead of continuing to aspire to the highest rungs of their organizations, became skeptical that they’d have the flexibility needed to do it all. So, they’re leaning out.
It’s what Trisha Daab, who had spent 20 years in corporate leadership roles, did. She took a year off. “I had no idea how tired I was until I stopped working,” she said.
During that time, Daab volunteered at a food bank, tap danced, traveled, and spent more time with her children. She eventually decided she couldn’t go back to the status quo. “Stepping away helped me realize my priorities had shifted,” the 47-year-old said.
Former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, who coined the term “Lean In” to encourage women to pursue corporate leadership even when family obligations felt like another hurdle, told Business Insider that she understands why women are leaning out.
“This is not the women who are saying, ‘I don’t want to do it,'” Sandberg, 57, said. “It’s the women saying, ‘I don’t want to do it because I’m not wanted, I’m not getting the same opportunities and the same support, and I face an unfair burden at home.'”
Sandberg said it’s a shame because women leaders often advocate for policies that benefit women, such as egg freezing, lactation rooms, and competitive parental leave options.
“I just hope that enough women want those senior leadership roles,” she added, “that we get the environment for women that they deserve.”
