Lean In Circles Could Double Your Chances of Getting a Raise

“Every single member of our Circle has reached a career goal.”

— Rachel Ernst, Circle Leader, San Francisco, USA

Up your chances of getting a promotion. Take on a leadership role at work. Earn more money. Build a support system that will boost your career growth. Lean In Circles can make these goals a reality — and the numbers prove it.

Today, we’re excited to share new data on just how effective Lean In Circles are.

Circles give women crucial tools they need to thrive in their careers. These small groups of peers gather regularly to build skills, set goals, and cheer each other on, because peer accountability works and progress is easier when we aim for it together. I know this firsthand — in my own Circle we offer and receive guidance during difficult moments, push each other to strive for what we otherwise might be afraid to do, and show up to celebrate when it all goes well. We challenge and champion one another.

Lean In Circles have been started in 183 countries and by women in all industries and job functions — from the C-suite to frontline workers, from the military to Wall Street. Each Circle and each member helps women set — and achieve — their goals.

And they work. Circles participants are:

• 2x as likely to have received a promotion in the past year as people who are not in Circles
• 2x as likely to have received a raise in the past year
• 3x as likely to have a mentor or sponsor at work
• 2x as likely to regularly be introduced to helpful contacts
• 50% more likely to feel they have the support they need to advance
• 70% more likely to regularly receive career information and resources

The testimonials give me goosebumps.

Circles help women supercharge their careers:

“Lean In Circle members earned promotions they were qualified for, changed roles or companies, rebuilt confidence after setbacks, negotiated raises or flexibility, and rediscovered ambitions they had quietly put on hold. They realized they weren’t alone — and that the problem was never ‘them.’”
— Laura Dell’Aquilla, Lean In Network Rome, Italy

They offer solidarity through all of life’s seasons:

“Members in my Circle take turns giving support and receiving support through all different stages of the life cycle. We’ve had marriages, births, deaths, all kinds of things.”
— Rachel Ernst, Circle Leader, San Francisco, USA

They provide a community rooted in shared purpose:

“There’s a kind of magic that happens when people with shared interests come together with the single agenda of sharing. When we step outside pressure and hierarchy, we tap into collective wisdom — and real connection emerges.”
— Juliet Turpin, Lean In Network Canada

These are the building blocks of real change — in your own career, and in the world around you. Not only do women leaders drive superior business results, they also put more emphasis on corporate social responsibility and ethics in the workplace. Lean In believes that when more women are in positions of power, they’ll build better systems for all of us — better workplaces, better governments, better technology, a better society as a whole.

Are you ready to be part of this movement? Starting or joining a Circle is easier than ever thanks to our new platform, Lean In Connect. It has everything you need to launch and run a Circle, or join an existing Circle for your location or industry. There’s a leadership curriculum designed specifically for women, a library of materials to spark discussion, and step-by-step support from the Lean In team and the Circles global community.

Join us here. We’re excited to welcome you.

— Sheryl Sandberg, Founder, LeanIn.Org