Can women cry their way to success?

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has suggested that it is okay for women to cry at work.

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Sandberg asserted that she attributes her tears to part of her success.

During a speech to Harvard Business School, the 42-year-old doled out career advice to graduating students, revealing details of how she paved her way to success in Silicon Valley, and addressed gender issues at work.

"I've cried at work. I've told people I've cried at work... I try to be myself," the Daily Mail quoted Sandberg as saying.

"I talk about my hopes and fears and ask people about theirs... [I am] honest about my strengths and weaknesses and I encourage others to do the same. It is all professional and it is all personal, all at the very same time."

According to a study, workplace tears do not seem to have the same career suicide stigma they used to, with 41per cent of women claiming they have cried at work, compared with nine per cent of men.

In majority of these cases, it does not impact workplace performance, and in some instances, ability to show emotion can be viewed as an asset, according to Anne Kreamer's new book, It's Always Personal: Emotion In The New Workplace.

However, Sandberg made the distinct comparison between authentic tears, and manipulative waterworks, cautioning against dishonest weeping.

"As we strive to be more authentic in our communication, we should also strive to be more authentic in a broader sense. I talk a lot about bringing your whole self to work - something I believe in deeply," she added.