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As a girl growing up, I was called bossy. And I was! LOL...I was smart and I could organize people. I was the one who held my hand up to answer the questions the teacher asked. I had friends around me and enjoyed being in a group.
Then sixth grade hit. All of a sudden I felt like I'd better not answer the questions or be smart because boys didn't like smart girls, and I wouldn't fit in if I stood out and took the lead on projects and headed organizations.
Middle School is a tough time for girls who are searching to find out who they are. Their bodies are changing and their emotions are on the surface. They are given more responsibility which will require them to move away from childhood ways. This is a time which can crush a girl's initiative because she doesn't want to be different from her peers, but rather to fit in.
A group of successful women are trying to encourage girls not to pull away from taking leadership roles. Leading by example, these three women are speaking up so girls and women will take on roles in leadership.
,The three women, powerhouses in today's world, are Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, and the CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Anna Maria Chávez. Their goal is to ban the word bossy, a negative label they say is too often applied to young girls, and one of the many ways they are discouraged from speaking up.
They hope the Ban Bossy campaign will not only start an open dialogue about women in leadership and their obstacles, but help inspire young girls to speak up and seek out leadership roles early.
How do you feel about the word bossy? Do you believe girls are not encouraged to be leaders? Are you a leader? Leave a comment below. We'd love to get your opinion.