Here she goes again. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and best selling author of Lean In has brought out the big guns like Beyonce to campaign against the word “Bossy.” #BanBossy
Really? Is it the word that’s the problem or the whole idea of women in leadership roles?
I’m bossy. There I said it. And I’m proud of it. I don’t think the word is the issue but rather our view of leadership itself. The real problem is that we have many examples of male leaders, some of who are known to be rather “difficult.” Steve Jobs comes to mind. Yet, his manner is excused by his brilliance and success. On the other extreme, there’s President Obama who is seen as consensus builder.
But women leaders? We simply don’t have many role models.
This struck me like a bolt of lightening while watching The Pianist of Willesden Lane on Saturday. There’s a scene in the play where photos of famous composers are projected on the stage and there isn’t a single woman among them. This of course isn’t unique to music.
Campaigns like “Ban Bossy” make noise. Especially in our celebrity driven culture. But our career/life choices aren’t external, they happen within us based on what we see and hear.
Let’s face it; we are all influenced by what we see around us — in real life, in the media, in pop culture. Our perceptions are shaped by our experiences. That’s why we need more Hillary Clintons, Mary Barras, Condoleezza Rices, Sara Blakelys, Amy Pascals, Diane Sawyers, and Susan Wojcickis. We need to see more powerful women in every field. But especially the visible ones: politics, media, entertainment, business, technology and science.
Young girls should be saying: “when I grow up I want to be like _____________” and be able to name a successful woman in every field.
I wish I had that opportunity when I was growing up. Instead I was the first woman “boss” in each industry I entered. I didn’t have an issue leading but my role models were all male. So I emulated their style. Which, it turns out is “bossy.”
So instead of banning words, let’s change our perception of leadership. In my fantasy world, more women will want to become leaders (because they won’t be deterred by being bossy) and in turn young girls will have great role models to look up to.
If you want more opinions on the “Ban Bossy” campaign check out these posts from other (smart) women: