When Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg invited me to the company's headquarters in Silicon Valley in 2011 for a casual chat—yes, she interviewed me—we discussed everything from tequila to being our authentic selves. Sheryl was so open, honest, and fun, I knew right away that I wanted to be her friend. (Would you believe she doesn't even have an office? She sits in an open workspace alongside everyone else, including her 28-year-old boss, Mark Zuckerberg.)

When she later told me she was writing a book on women and work, I knew it would be big. Sheryl is the perfect person to really take this important conversation to the next level. I was honored when she sent me some early chapters to read, and sure enough, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead is honest and brave, like Sheryl herself. In honor of its publication, I decided it was my turn to interview her. So I flew to California to meet her at one of her favorite restaurants, the Flea Street Café—the same place she first dined with Mr. Zuckerberg in 2008 before leaving Google to join him at the little social network he'd founded. There, over artichoke crostini and steamed garden vegetables, we talked about her high-pressure job, her insecurities (yep—she has 'em, too!), and why she felt inspired to speak out about women and power.

Next: Read Oprah's full interview with Sheryl

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