When you hear the word “bossy,” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Maybe it’s that little girl in your first grade class that you didn’t like. Maybe it’s the girl in your high school class that led group projects and actually got things done. Maybe it’s the woman who runs for political office against a slew of men who try and knock her down a few pegs by calling her bossy. But is bossy such a bad thing? If bossy is a term that applies to people who work hard and want to be a leader, than where is the harm in that?

The harm in it is the skewed connotation the word brings. When it is thrown at a person, usually a woman, it is seen as derogatory, the purpose of it being to offend and dishearten its target. When a woman is deemed bossy, more often than not it is a comment on her leadership traits, which is something that should not be discouraged.

However, because of bossy’s twisted implication, many women, including Beyoncé, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chavez, have banded together under a “Ban Bossy” Campaign that is working toward stomping out the use of the word “bossy.” But would that fix the problem?

The root of the problem isn’t the word itself, any word could replace it and have the same derogatory meaning. The problem is with its connotation. It’s the difference between ambitious and overambitious, determined and domineering, strong-minded and forceful. The solution is not to rid the world of “bossy,” because that has the potential to show girls and women that having the traits associated with the word that are necessary to be a leader is a bad thing.

Reclaiming the positive meaning of “bossy” and changing the way women who take charge and speak their minds are perceived by the world should be the focus. This includes showing young girls that the traits that lead to being called bossy are not a bad thing, empowering them to embrace those traits, and teaching them not to back down when someone tries to use that word against them. Being bossy should be returned to being a point of pride, not shame for women.