I'm not Bossy - I'm a Leader!

There’s an infographic that I love, with a little girl pointing her finger in a little boy’s face telling him, “I’m not bossy, I have leadership skills.”  Although it’s refreshing to see things like this, I find it disappointing that in 2018, our society still socializes little girls to be “good little girls,” and little boys to just be.

I grew up in a very traditional household, where my dad was very much the alpha male, and there was no question that he was the leader and very much in charge of the household.  I even remember as a little girl I would ask him to watch a TV show called “Who’s the Boss,” and he’d remind me, with a grin on his face, that there was no need to watch that show because he was/is the boss.  We’d both chuckle about it, but it always stayed with me, along with the memories of the some of the conversations with my dad, where he would urge me to take charge of my own life.  He’d say things like, “you need to be able to take care of yourself and make your own decisions – travel the world and decide where you want to live and who you want to be.”  My uncle would often echo his sentiments, reminding me that “if and when you choose to be with someone, be with him because you want to, not because you have to.”

Memories of the conversations with these influential men in my life will forever be ingrained in my memory.  In fact, these memories and conversations helped to mold me into the woman I am today.  As such, I can very much relate to that that little girl, because I’ve often been told I’m bossy by members of the opposite sex.  While I do not believe this to be true, I do believe I have natural leadership skills and that my perceived “bossiness” is actually a good thing.

I would personally like to encourage women who are told they’re “bossy, controlling etc.”, to continue to shine, and to remind each of you that you are great women, with excellent leadership skills.  Sadly, although we’ve come a far way in terms of acknowledging and accepting female leaders as a society, there’s still a lot more work to be done.  I would also encourage each of you, if you haven’t done so already, to read Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.  It’s a great read and a powerful reminder to every female leader who knows she’s not “bossy,” but rather has amazing leadership skills.  Continue to be extraordinary!