Deconstructing The Girl Boss Archetype
For the second installment of our Unfiltered series, The Dandy asked three talented women the same exact question centered around a relatable topic. This week’s feature is dedicated to deconstructing our feelings on the girl boss archetype. Girl boss hysteria kicked off with Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In and was properly branded by lead girl boss Sophia Amoruso. This commodification of a feminine ideal invited a new wave of contemporary feminism that was predicated on grinding day in and day out while still keeping fit, maintaining strong relationships, and taking lavish vacations.
While this portrayal of a confident and powerful woman is something that holds much merit, it also presents its fair share of quandaries resulting in an unattainable ideal that dovetails gender with certain expectations that don’t always ring true. It also implies that a strong leader is determined by one’s gender, when let’s be real—we’ve all had great bosses and shitty bosses and their sexual organs didn’t have anything to do with that. Thankfully, burn-out culture has been replaced with an emphasis on self-care. Prioritizing mental health and dedicating time to repair our wounded world is what feels right. Being strong, confident and compassionate will never go out of style.
To shed more light on this topic, we asked these three talented women how their feelings have evolved since the onset of girl boss craze and how they currently define success in their own lives. Thanks to (from top to counter-clockwise) photographer Julieta Christy, artist Carly Martin, and Editor Taylyn Harmon for their poignant insights.
Julieta Christy, Photographer
Has the girl boss archetype and its unattainable perfectionism been distressing or negatively impacted you in any way? We're curious to hear your thoughts on the evolution of the girl boss archetype and how you define success nowadays in your own life.
The girl boss archetype and its unattainable perfectionism implies leadership differences are based on gender rather than the individual person, and that to me is why that archetype is distressing. Our problems are fixed into the hierarchies, not the identities of those who are on top of the corporate hierarchies. From systemic racism and sexism to the destruction of labour, the direction of making women the new men will never change the inadequate conversations around these injustices. For that reason, I believe those who are hungry for power are not necessarily the leaders people need.
It is evident that our public institutions have failed to implement social changes and that’s why we have overestimated corporations to do so. It is the mistake of associating capitalism with social justice. Over time, notable women who represented the girl boss archetype were then commonly accused of malpractices, which not only proves they are as accomplished as their male counterparts, but just as demeaning. If your company revolves around feminism, then consumers will expect you to put your values into practice. This is what we also know as “practice what you preach”.
As an innovator who paved my own path to flourish in the creative industry, I would define success as maintaining a healthy mindset in my life, through balance and partnership. You will constantly have to work hard but you also have to know when to take a break and not to be too hard on yourself. You will have days where you are more driven and days where you lack motivation, but that does not make you more or less successful than others. It just shows that you place value on your health and well-being. Furthermore, it is also about supporting and lifting each other up. Why? Because partnership allows the opportunity to learn, connect, and communicate with others. It develops efficiency and forms valuable relationships. So while you are building yourself up, do not tear other people down.
Carly Martin, Artist at Clementine Studio
Has the girl boss archetype and its unattainable perfectionism been distressing or negatively impacted you in any way? We're curious to hear your thoughts on the evolution of the girl boss archetype and how you define success nowadays in your own life.
I have mixed feelings about the “girl boss” label as well as its subsequent downfall. The hype of this archetype was just starting to take steam at the same time I was sitting at my previous desk job dreaming about being independent and starting my own business, so I latched on. I read Sophia Amoruso’s book as soon as it came out. I relished Tuesdays because a new “Biz Ladies” column would come out on Design Sponge, and I even attended a Create & Cultivate workshop when I first moved to Chicago.
I do think it helped give me the courage I needed to step out on my own in ways that I couldn’t find directly from my own community bubble. That being said, I always felt a disconnect and it never felt fully attainable to me. Not only am I an introvert, but I also have a different work ethic than what was being preached throughout these resources. I put in hard work in my own ways, but pulling all-nighters never did me any favors and being constantly “busy” never produced anything worthwhile for me. I kept hearing that you had to network constantly and basically push yourself to a mental and physical breakdown in order to be successful. I internalized that as thinking of myself as lazy or not having the same amount of drive to succeed as these other “girl bosses.”
The downfall was inevitable, as it is with most things these days that get over-hyped. I’m glad to see that self-care and a safe and equal work environment is starting to take precedence over being busy and constantly stressed out. That being said, I appreciate the girl boss moment for what it was. It got young girls excited to be entrepreneurs. It allowed space for us to have big dreams and to see them through. The fluffy language was an easy entry point and it allowed us to get to where we are today, where we can question it and build upon it to be more inclusive.
Taylyn Harmon, Associate Editor at Health Magazine
Has the girl boss archetype and its unattainable perfectionism been distressing or negatively impacted you in any way? We're curious to hear your thoughts on the evolution of the girl boss archetype and how you define success nowadays in your own life.
I used to live/eat/breathe/sleep by the girl boss "religion," so to speak. As time went on and I began to work with and for women who embodied this girl boss archetype I realized that quite frankly, it's a trap. To be a "boss," someone inherently has to be underneath you. There's no idea of being a team player while also being a leader as a girl boss. The idea of the girl boss seems empowering on the surface because it implies that any woman being the boss is better than your average male boss, when I (and many women like me) have experienced the same kind of tyrannical leadership at the hands of women who would be called "girl bosses."
The "girl boss" in all of its chic, fauxminist packaging is the commodification of capitalist feminism. True feminism is about lifting other women up and ensuring equity when it comes to opportunity. A true girl boss would recognize that her role as a leader is to let her team members and mentees shine, cultivate their talents, and acknowledge that none of her goals can be achieved without the help of others. As a reformed girl boss, I care less about being the boss, but more about how I can use my privileges and talents to advance those of others— because without others believing in me, I never would have made it to the roles I have today.