Is bossy a word you use often? I did not before the past few months. In fact you may have seen a lot of talk about being called ‘bossy‘.
Here is what I think:
I never thought was bad word. To me it implied someone who takes charge when others are milling around being indecisive. And yes many times I was that person. However now I would take offense if one of my peers called me bossy. I now prefer the term leading. What changed?
I believe that bossy implies that you tell people what to do without actually doing it. It is the opposite of leading by example and that is irritating. When I was a child I did not know how to lead by example and telling people what to do was fun. Plus I was not getting paid to lead them and I really did not care whether or not their feeling were hurt .
Leading implies teamwork. You cannot lead without followers and followers do not want to be lead by tyrants. They want to feel valued. Bossy implies something different or at least I think so.
People have their own reasons for getting things done and those reasons may not be in alignment with yours. Honesty certainly increase your chances of getting them on your side. Being bossy may not.
I think the word bossy is okay to use for children. They do often tell others what to do without regard for responsibly for the feelings of others. That is what children do. I do not think it is appropriate to call an woman bossy. And a woman should not act bossy.
So is bossy a bad word? Well, you better not call me that.
I hope this inspires you to think about how you come across as a leader. Let me know what you think.
doretha
