$2bn woman: how Sheryl Sandberg became one of tech’s most successful

bosses
Level 1: Elementary

1
  Warmer

a. What words describe a good boss? Complete the mind map. Then, discuss your answers.

What makes
a successful
boss or
leader?

2
  Key words

a. Write the correct words from the wordpool to complete the definitions below. Then, find and
highlight them in the article to read them in context.

advertising     Chief Operating Officer (COO)     fire     hire     strategy

1. the person who manages the daily work of a company

2. telling the public about a product or a service so they buy or to use it

3. a plan made to achieve a particular purpose or goal

4. give someone a job

5. force someone to leave their job

deal with    equality    feminist    leadership    social-media platform

6. talk to or meet someone to solve a problem, especially as part of your job

7. someone who believes that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men
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 $2bn woman: how Sheryl Sandberg became one of tech’s most successful
bosses
Level 1: Elementary
8. a website or app that allows users to create, share, and see content while connecting with
other people or companies

9. the right for all people to receive the same treatment and opportunities

10. being in charge or having power in a situation, a company, or the government

b. Complete the sentences with words from the previous activity. You might have to change the
form of the word.

1. How are you going to the problem?

2. Which do you use?

3. The new company is their products on social media and TV.

4. Having qualities is important to become a manager.

5. have been asking for equal pay for many years.

6. Many people hope that there will be for all in the future.

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 $2bn woman: how Sheryl Sandberg became one of tech’s most successful
bosses
Level 1: Elementary
Rupert Neate 10 “What we realised is that to really get to
18 January, 2024 equality, equality in leadership everywhere,
we’re going to have to go younger,” she said
1 Mark Zuckerberg hired Sheryl Sandberg as last year. “Who wants to say to a girl seven
Facebook’s chief operating officer in 2008. years before she enters the workforce, ‘One
Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook at Harvard day you’re going to be in a meeting, and some
University, was just 23 – Sandberg, then 38, man is going to talk over you, voice something
was “the adult in the room”. you just said and get credit for your ideas.’”

2 The former sales executive at Google and chief 11 Her second book, Option B, is about facing
of staff at the US Treasury became important challenges, building emotional strength and
in the global technology sector and was one “finding joy” after her husband’s death.
of very few women at the top of the industry. 12 Sandberg will now spend more time working
She also made a lot of money and is now worth with a charity she set up to focus on women
close to 2 billion US dollars. and work.
3 Sandberg, now 54, left that role in June 2022, © Guardian News and Media 2024
and on 17 January, she announced she was First published in The Guardian, 18/01/2024
leaving Meta’s board too.
4 Zuckerberg, the world’s sixth-richest person,
with an estimated 133 billion US dollars,
thanked Sandberg for the work she did for “our
company and community over the years.”
5 Zuckerberg has said Sandberg “handles
things I don’t want to. All that stuff that in other
companies I might have to do. And she’s much
better at that.”
6 That “stuff” included an advertising strategy
and hiring and firing employees. She also
dealt with other complicated issues, such
as the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the
January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, and the
documents leaked by Frances Haugen.
7 “Sheryl Sandberg may believe that she is a
feminist, but her decisions at Meta made social-
media platforms less safe for women, people of
colour, and the American electoral system,”
Shaunna Thomas, a feminist, said.
8 However, Debra Williamson, at Insider
Intelligence, said that from a business point
of view, “What she built at Facebook is pretty
powerful and will go down in the history books.”
9 She has also written two books. 2013’s Lean
In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead became
an international bestseller.
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 $2bn woman: how Sheryl Sandberg became one of tech’s most successful
bosses
Level 1: Elementary

3
  Comprehension check

a. Answer the questions using information from the article.

1. What was Sheryl Sandberg’s job at Facebook in 2008?

2. Which two places did Sandberg work before Facebook?

3. How much money is Sandberg worth, according to the article?

4. Who is worth more, Sandberg or Zuckerberg?

5. When did Sandberg leave the COO role at Facebook?

6. What is some of the “stuff” Sandberg did at Facebook?

7. What does Shaunna Thomas think Sandberg’s decisions did?

8. What does Debra Williamson think about Sandberg’s decisions?

9. What are the names of her two books?

10. What is Sandberg planning to do now?

4
  Key language

a. Find each sentence from the article and fill in the verb.

1. Mark Zuckerberg (hire) Sheryl Sandberg as Facebook’s chief operating

officer in 2008.

2. Zuckerberg, who (found) Facebook at Harvard University, was just 23.

3. She also (make) a lot of money and is now worth close to 2 billion
US dollars.

4. On 17 January, she (announce) she was leaving Meta’s board.

5. Zuckerberg (thank) Sandberg for the work she (do)

for “our company and community over the years.”

b. Choose three verbs from task A and write personalised examples using simple past.
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 $2bn woman: how Sheryl Sandberg became one of tech’s most successful
bosses
Level 1: Elementary

5
  Discussion

a. Discuss these statements.

• “Good leadership leads to success.”

• “Age and experience are important for leaders.”

• “When women are leaders, they are treated differently.”

6
  In your own words

a. Do some research about women in leadership positions.

• Which industry has the most/fewest female leaders?

• Which country has the most/fewest female leaders?

• How can we improve equality in leadership?

b. Report your findings to the class and share your opinions. Here are some phrases to help you
when you discuss facts.

It’s interesting that …

According to my research, …

One example is …

Another idea is …

Here are some phrases to use when stating your opinion.

I think (that) …

In my life, …

From what I’ve seen/heard/read, …

In my understanding/opinion, …

I (dis)agree with …
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 $2bn woman: how Sheryl Sandberg became one of tech’s most successful
bosses
Level 1: Elementary – Teacher’s notes
Key:
Article summary: The article talks about 1. deal with
Sheryl Sandberg’s legacy at Facebook and 2. social-media platform(s)
Meta and her future plans. 3. advertising
4. leadership
Time: 60 minutes 5. Feminists
6. equality
Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing
3. Comprehension check
Language focus: Present perfect v
simple past a. Students answer the questions based on the
information in the article. They may do this in
Materials needed: One copy of the
worksheet per student different ways, e.g., in item 1, they may say,
‘She was the COO’, or similar.
Key (suggested answers):
1. Warmer 1. chief operating officer (COO)
2. Google and the US Treasury
a. This activity aims to get students thinking and talking 3. close to $2 billion
about what makes a good boss. You may wish to 4. Zuckerberg
brainstorm words and phrases connected to this 5. June, 2022
topic to help students get started. You can also 6. an advertising strategy, hiring and firing
have students complete the mind map in pairs or employees, dealing with complicated issues
small groups. Encourage students to share personal 7. They made social media platforms less safe.
experiences, anecdotes and opinions if they wish. 8. She built something powerful.
9. Lean In and Option B
2. Key words 10. spend more time working with her foundation

a. Ask students to do the exercise individually and b. Key language

compare their answers in pairs or small groups. As
an extension activity, ask students to write the part of a. Students could be asked to do this exercise
speech for each key word.
individually and then compare their answers in pairs.
Key: Key:
1. Chief Operating 6. deal with 1. hired
Officer (COO) 7. feminist 2. founded
2. advertising 8. social-media 3. made
3. strategy platform 4. announced
4. hire 9. equality 5. thanked, did
5. fire 10. leadership
b. Students could be asked to do this exercise
b. Before reading the article carefully, students individually and then compare their answers in pairs.
use some of the key words to fill the gaps in the Remind students that personalising vocabulary will
sentences to ensure that they understand and know help them remember it better.
how the words are used in other contexts.
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 $2bn woman: how Sheryl Sandberg became one of tech’s most successful
bosses
Level 1: Elementary – Teacher’s notes
5. Discussion

a. Students discuss the statements related to the

article and give their reasons and justifications for
each answer, referring to their own experiences
wherever possible.

6. In your own words

a. Ask students to research equality in leadership

positions. You may wish to have students choose
one of the research questions.

b. Students could then present their reports to the

class. Encourage students to share the information
they’ve gathered and their opinions about the issue.
Encourage students to use some of the given
phrases in their presentations when stating facts and
their views.

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