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Nationwide study finds that girls aspire to a different kind of leadership
Survey finds that girls want to change the world
Despite the increasing presence of women in leadership positions from Wall Street to the halls of Congress, more than half of American girls say they don’t aspire to be leaders, turned off by the conventional conception of leadership as command and control, according to a study released today by Girl Scouts of the USA.
The nationwide survey, conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), found that 39 percent of girls want to be leaders, and that the desire for leadership is higher for African-American (53 percent), Hispanic (50 percent) and Asian-American (59 percent) girls compared to Caucasian girls (34 percent). Yet a majority of girls (52 percent) are deeply ambivalent about leadership, saying that being a leader is not that important to them.
The data indicate, however, that while girls find the command-and-control style of leadership unappealing, a majority of them would aspire to a different kind of leadership focused on personal principles, ethical behavior and the ability to affect social change.
Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents said they would want to be leaders who stand up “for their beliefs and values,” and 59 percent said they would like to be a leader “who tries to change the world for the better.”
“It’s clear from the research that girls today don’t embrace the conventional style of leadership,” said Judy Schoenberg, director of research and outreach at the Girl Scout Research Institute and lead author of the study, Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership. “It’s simply not how they want to lead. Girls today appear to be redefining leadership in terms of being more inclusive and serving a larger purpose.”
The study, which provides a rare glimpse into girls’ evolving perceptions of leadership and comes amid United States Senator Hillary Clinton’s high-profile bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, involved a national survey of 2,475 girls and 1,514 boys ages 8 to 17, as well as a series of focus groups and ethnographic interviews.
The survey also yielded data on current leadership perceptions. Overall, 61 percent of youth consider themselves leaders in their everyday lives, with the proportion being highest among African-American girls (75 percent), African-American boys (74 percent) and Hispanic girls (72 percent).
Indeed, the survey and qualitative research revealed that boys and girls share many of the same perceptions of leadership. However, there were differences. Girls’ leadership aspirations were more likely to be driven by altruistic motives, whereas boys were more likely to be motivated by power and money.
Girls were more likely than boys to be leaders because they want to help other people (67 percent vs. 53 percent), share their knowledge and skills with others (53 percent vs. 47 percent) and change the world for the better (45 percent vs. 31 percent).
Boys, on the other hand, were significantly more likely than girls to be motivated by the desire to be their own boss (38 percent vs. 33 percent), make more money (33 percent vs. 26 percent) and have more power (22 percent vs. 14 percent).
Furthermore, a strong majority (82 percent) of youth agreed that girls and boys are equally good at being leaders. However, 56 percent of respondents also agreed that “in our society, it is more difficult to become a leader for a woman than a man.” And more than half (52 percent) of girls and boys agreed that “girls have to work harder than boys in order to gain positions of leadership.” That perception was more widely held by girls (57 percent) than boys (44 percent).
For more information on this study, including a full copy of the study findings, visit www.girlscouts.org/leadership or call Girl Scouts of the USA at 1-800-478-7248. What does this study mean for parents? How can they help their daughter become a leader? Learn more about recommendations this study has for parents to help them foster leadership in their daughters (pdf).
Colorado Girl Scouts embody changing views of leadership
Girl Scout Troop 66 of Fort Collins is showcasing how girls throughout the state are leading through their Girl Scout projects. Troop 66’s Girl Scouts Read For You project started as an idea in the fall of 2006 for some members of the troop who wanted to visit with and read aloud to senior citizens. However, the girls saw such a need that they expanded the program, created a Web site (www.girlscoutsreadforyou.info) and a Take Out box of items to use when working with senior citizens, and are helping other troops statewide to do similar projects.
“Girls want to change the world — be it by helping out someone in need, cleaning up a park or starting a reading program for senior citizens,” said Virginia L. Mason, president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado. “The commitment of the girls is a testament to how they view themselves as vehicles for positive change in the world.”
In addition to helping Girl Scouts throughout the state start reading programs for senior citizens, the girls in Troop 66 continue to visit their favorite nursing home, Alterra Clare Bridge Cottage in Fort Collins. They’ve expanded their repertoire from just reading to playing games, doing crafts and performing skits, and they plan to give the seniors manicures in April. In fact, on Sunday, March 30, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at the Alterra Clare Bridge Cottage at 1008 Rule Drive in Fort Collins, Troop 66 will perform read-aloud plays and skits for the residents during one of their visits to the community. According to the girls, they get as much out of the project as the seniors do.
“The first few times we went to read to them, we saw how it made their day and that made us feel happy,” said one of the troop members, Savanna Inman, who is now a Fort Collins seventh-grader, “We wanted other Girl Scouts to have the experience and so more seniors could get to have this experience too.”
Troop 66 is not the only Colorado Girl Scout or troop that is leading through their Girl Scout projects. Learn more about what Girl Scouts are doing in Colorado Springs, Highlands Ranch, Lakewood, Pueblo and Steamboat Springs (pdf). Want to know more about Girl Scouts in your community? Contact Girl Scouts of Colorado’s communications office at 1-866-827-7033 for more information.
About Girl Scouts of Colorado
Girl Scouts of Colorado is where girls throughout the state gain courage, confidence and character alongside a group of girls who will be their friends for life. It’s a safe place for girls to explore their world, develop an understanding and empathy for others and take action to make the world a better place. Girls are guided by committed, caring adults who make learning fun. No other activity helps each girl achieve her personal leadership pathway like Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts has been the nation’s leading expert on girls for nearly 100 years. For more information, to volunteer or donate to Girl Scouting in Colorado, visit www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org or call 1-866-827-7033.
About Girl Scouts
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.6 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouting is the leading authority on girls’ healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girls Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts, call (1-800) GSUSA 4 U (1-800-478-7248) or visit www.girlscouts.org.