Sheryl Sandberg’s Friends From Seventh Grade Helped Her Deal With Husband’s Death

Facebook COO and Lean In author Sheryl Sandberg knows a little something about accomplishing goals, especially as one of the most powerful women in Silicon Valley. While hard work and leaning in may be part of Sandberg’s recipe for success, she just revealed one of her biggest secret career weapons: her friends. In an article for Cosmopolitan, Sandberg explained how her friends inspire her through some of life’s most difficult moments.

Sandberg wrote that she and her friends were “the smart girls” in school, which was not always the highest form of praise for a teenager. She said, “We weren’t cool, but we were fast and loyal friends. And we have stood by one another for decades — from junior high to high school to college to starting careers and families to the present day.”

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This group of friends that she formed in seventh grade helped her cope with her husband David’s death in 2015. In her essay, Sandberg praised them and their continuous support: “And they are a big part of why, a year after the death of my husband, Dave, I am able to smile again.” She continued, “For women, this kind of support can be especially important — because, too often, the world tells women what we can’t do.”

Having a strong support system of women, however, is just as important in the office. Sandberg wants to debunk the myth that women tear other women down, such as “mean girls” in school or “queen bees” at work. A male equivalent, however, doesn’t exist, she says. She encourages everyone to realize that “women are powerful allies at work and beyond.” She said, “When women celebrate one another’s accomplishments, we’re all lifted up.”

Read the rest of her essay on Cosmopolitan here.