"Bossy" is a weighted word in our lexicon, often used as a pejorative for women who show leadership and assertiveness.

But when Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn.org, teamed up with Beyoncé and Girl Scouts of America earlier this month to ban "the other B-word," many people criticized the campaign for being misguided. They felt the "Ban Bossy" campaign should reclaim or create an informed dialogue around how we use it, rather than censor a piece of language entirely.

Women's media platform SheKnows released a counter-initiative on Wednesday called #BossyIs. Instead of banning words, the campaign hopes to equip young girls with the tools needed to overcome whatever stands in the way of their dreams and goals. #BossyIs promotes self-esteem through writing, STEM and athletics.

"We were inspired by the Ban Bossy campaign, but felt that much of the discourse focused on the concept of a word ban, rather than focusing on the core mission of empowering girls," Samantha Skey, CMO of SheKnows, told Mashable. "We hope to pick up the mantel and engage parents, kids, educators and the media in the discussion of language and leadership among young girls."

In the video above, students from St. Ann's School in Brooklyn share what they think of the word "bossy." The girls had profound, exciting things to say, giving us all hope for future generations.

Skey said the video is part of an ongoing mission to empower girls through content creation. "We will encourage dialogue around issues of leadership and will mentor girls to cultivate and share their own points of view," she said.

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