Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg says this is the one question you should be asking your date

Four years ago, Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg wrote a groundbreaking book calling for women to "lean in" to their careers.

In a recent interview, she suggested that women should be doing the same with their relationships.

When a Financial Times reporter asked Sandberg what she should be looking for in a relationship, the executive had a brilliant response.

In 2012 Sheryl Sandberg became the first woman on the board of Facebook, four years after joining the company (Getty)

"The guys who want an equal relationship," she said. "Guys who want to support your career. You have a great career."

Pressed by the reporter who was eager to know how to find these men, who Sandberg called "the good guys," the exec offered a simple but effective nugget of wisdom: Ask them.

That's right. When you go on a date, be upfront, and ask the person if he is one of these "good guys" who wants an equal relationship and will support you in your career.

While this might seem like too serious a question to ask on a casual first date, Sandberg recommends asking early, and "not [being] afraid of offending."

"If they’re going to be offended by the answer, you don’t want to date them anyway."

Here's a more in-depth excerpt from the interview:

"You can date whoever you want, but you should marry the nerds and the good guys," she advised. You dated the bad guys? I ask. "A little bit."

I tell her I’m 30 and unmarried: who should I be looking for? "The guys who want an equal relationship. Guys who want to support your career. You have a great career," she said. Embracing the idea of Sandberg as agony aunt, I ask how you tell who the good guys are. "You ask and you ask early and you are not afraid of offending. If they’re going to be offended by the answer, you don’t want to date them anyway."

Of course, this is fantastic advice — and it's a great way to narrow down the dating pool to find the right person.

Read the full Financial Times interview here, and learn about Sandberg's new book, "Option B: Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy," here.

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