Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, one of the wealthiest and highest-ranking female executives in Silicon Valley, jokes that she was a “bossy little girl.” Now Sandberg, aided by Beyonce and Condoleeza Rice, among others, is promoting a campaign to ban the word “bossy.” She says the word has negative connotations for young girls and discourages them from being leaders. We discuss the different interpretations of “bossy,” and other words that may negatively affect girls on the playground or women in the workplace. Have you ever been called “bossy?” What does the word “bossy” mean to you?
- More: Ban Bossy website
- More: Don’t Ban ‘Bossy’ (The New Yorker)