Recent years have been filled with women who have shattered the glass ceiling in their respective fields. Barriers once thought to be unbreakable have been torn down by powerful women such as Kamala Harris, the first female vice-president of the United States, or The Chipettes, the first all-female-singing-chipmunk-group. Boss babes.
While all of these women and chipmunks deserve recognition, Americans need only to look north of the border to find the woman who has truly shown herself to be a role model for us all: our inspo qween, Julie Payette.
Some may have said that she was “toxic” and that she turned public service into a “house of horrors,” but we must commend her for having such an impact on her teams! Regardless of her methods, it is clear she did not take no for an answer, leaned in, and did not let labels define her. She called poor work out for what it was, “shit,” and crushed mediocre work under her heel. She made employees cry, humiliated staffers, and received dozens of complaints against her—just like plenty of male bosses before her. Equality!
As more and more women enter into male-dominated fields, Payette's example of how to push everyone else down so that we succeed will guide us. She shows us that the best way to defy gender roles is to perpetuate the pain stereotypically inflicted by power-hungry men. After all, why would you follow in the footsteps of your accomplished women predecessors when you could set yourself apart with intimidation tactics instead?
Payette truly is a #GirlBoss to inspire us all.
Photo Credit: Boundary Staff