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So the current campaign is to ban bossy, a toxic adjective which Sheryl Sandburg believes is toxic and designed to suppress women.

I am all for anything that empowers women! So I salute Sheryl for highlighting this issue, and it’s great to see the support of powerful women like Beyonce and Victoria Beckham.

However I think it’s important we don’t get too hung up on what is in effect just a ‘word’. Doesn’t female empowerment come from knowing inside who you are and what you are regardless of how society defines you?

I agree it’s not often we hear men being called bossy.

Some people are born leaders and others followers, so I believe that whatever your gender you should play to your strengths (some people don’t want the responsibility of being a leader), however progression and growth should be encouraged and supported.

Some liken bossy to assertive however my belief is both are very different. My interpretations are as thus; bossy is telling someone what to do (which if you are a boss to some extent this is your job!), however there is no reason why this can’t be done in a respectful way. Assertiveness is expressing what you want and need.

Men say they don’t like bossy women however when I queried on Twitter, bossy in the bedroom seemed to be acceptable!

Bossy isn’t a word that realistically can be banned, and it’s a word I use myself to describe both men and women if it fits.

In relationships men being asked to do things by women will define it as bossiness and/or nagging.

Women are still traditionally the nest makers and therefore tend to have more of an interest in keeping the home in order, so added mess from a man along with the children’s is a guaranteed way to bring out the ‘bossiness’ in a woman.

Lets not forget that many men want to be told what to do in a relationship, because they are lazy don’t want to have to think! How often do we hear: “I just do as I’m told”, “ask the boss”, “yes dear whatever you think”? They can’t have it both ways.

To wrap this up in a relevance to my readers a good relationship/marriage is about mutual agreement and compromise in all affairs of the home, family and work.

Once things are agreed if both parties keep to their end of the bargain there should be no need for anyone to be ‘boss’, however both need to equally committed to working together, because if not one person may end up feeling forced into a boss role to gain and maintain some sort of order.