The Ban Bossy campaign released a video a few weeks ago that featured women from all walks of life, such as Beyonce, Jennifer Garner and Condoleezza Rice. They and other women featured, stood in front of the camera and proudly denounced the word bossy, and encouraged others to join them in their effort to ban it.
Ironically, these women came off as nothing less than bossy.
According to the campaign, more girls than boys lose interest in leadership roles by middle school. Apparently, their fear of the dreaded “b”-word prevents them from wanting to become leaders.
So, the campaign is essentially focused on helping make leaders out of people who allow themselves to be scared out of leadership roles.
As wonderful as the campaign might sound, the problem is that banning anything, particularly words, does nothing to encourage true leadership in anyone. Such an action only works to fuel the entitlement mentality that seems pervasive among Americans today.
What is the true message behind the Ban Bossy video? That women leaders can emerge when society removes obstacles in their paths. Something has to be banned in order to make women feel like they can enter into a leadership role. You know, just like with Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks or even Margaret Thatcher.
The Ban Bossy video and campaign encourages younger generations of women to take the easy way out and claim victimhood. It encourages them to pin blame on someone or something else, in order to move to the top.
As silly as it sounds, what really needs to be taught is what Rocky said in the sixth film of the series “Rocky Balboa.” At one point in the movie, Rocky stood on a dark street, facing his son. He spoke to him gently at first, but then became more severe as his son scoffed at him.
“Now if you know what you’re worth, then go and get what you’re worth,” Rocky said. “But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that, and that ain’t you!”
I know this comes from a fictional character in a cheesy flick. But, this scene and quote is more substantial and powerful than anything I’ve ever heard from anyone part of the Ban Bossy campaign.
Rocky described how one truly becomes a leader. You’re going to have critics. You’re going to have people saying all sorts of things about you — likely beyond the point where they’re simply calling you names.
Even if you’re not striving to be a leader, you’re still going to go through this. That’s life. You have to deal with it like everyone else. You’re going to take “hits,” but you have to move on.
At some level, even the women featured in the video had to go through the very thing I described. And guess what?
They managed to become leaders in their own right. Nobody was around to ban bossy for them, and somehow they managed to get to the top.
Again, I dislike using a film to extend words of wisdom. But honestly, all children — gender aside — are better off following advice from a fictional character in a fictional world than following blabber from real human beings who have attained some form or other of leadership in the real world.
Andrew Jenson can be reached at [email protected]