"I am woman, hear me roar," sang Helen Reddy in 1972 to commemorate a surge in the women's movement. The idea that women should be seen, but not heard took a back seat and this song became the mantra for women in all walks of life.
The world, yes the world, stopped in its tracks this week as the most famous woman in the world, Mrs. Tom Brady aka Gisele Bundchen, used her voice to respond to a Giants Fan. What I found amazing was that no one seemed to care about the !?XZ!?? word that was used in the exchange. The only element of the response that was bantered about was whether or not a wife should or should not defend her husband - even if that defense may seem to others to throw their colleagues "under the bus".
ATTENTION MEDIA TALKING HEADS: women earned the right to vote in 1920 and little by little have been given an opportunity to speak in public ever since then.
As I coach women entrepreneurs, I focus on encouraging self confidence and the ability to speak up. "If you aren't visible," I tell them "you are invisible." However, being a professional means using words that can be uttered in mixed company and repeated without shame. Mrs. Brady used a word I find repugnate, but speaking up for her husband absolutely wins my support.
Gisele is not just Mrs. Tom Brady, anymore than I am Mrs. Donlan, she is a person in her own right, a business person, a Mom and a role model. When engaged in a negative battle of words about some one or thing that she is proud of, she has every right to respond with exactly how she feels. In my opinion, she would have been much better to have responded without the expletive but saying what's on her mind is her right and I'll defend it.
Women entrepreneurs are often too quiet about the things they could say that could change their world. They hold back with their opinions because they don't believe they have something important enough to say and they allow the men in the room to do the talking. This is one of the reason women's groups have become so popular. There is never any silence in a group of women.
Helen Reddy had it right:
"You can bend but never break me
'cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul"
When, and only when, women realize that they have the right to speak up and out on every issue that is important to them will we have equality. We need more women on corporate boards -- women who speak up -- more women CEOs in Fortune 500 -- women who speak up. Don't allow anyone to tell you that you don't have something important to say -- without every one of you the next generation of women will have no voice at all.
Women entrepreneurs must work on their communication skills every chance they get. You don't need to use expletives to get your point across but you do need to be clear. It's women's voices and leadership that can and will eventually be the change the world needs.