To lean is to bend your body or move something so that it rests against something else for support, or to slope in a particular direction.
From Old English *hlēanian*, related to *hlēon*, meaning to incline or lean. It is connected to old roots about bending or sloping.
We’ve turned *lean* into a metaphor for efficiency—“lean production,” “lean startup”—by borrowing the image of a body with no extra weight hanging off it. The physical act of leaning for support also hides in phrases like “lean on me” for emotional help.
The verb and adjective 'lean' are neutral in origin, but the phrase 'lean in' gained gendered resonance through Sheryl Sandberg’s 2013 book about women and leadership. It has been critiqued for placing responsibility on individual women rather than structural inequities, giving the otherwise neutral word a modern gendered discourse context.
When using 'lean in' in professional or motivational contexts, be explicit that structural barriers exist and that the advice is not only for women. For physical or metaphorical uses of 'lean' (e.g., 'lean team', 'lean against the wall'), no special care is needed.
["engage fully","participate actively","take initiative","step forward"]
Discussions of 'leaning in' should acknowledge that women and gender‑diverse people have long led changes in workplaces and social movements, often under conditions of discrimination and unequal pay.
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