Middle school was so much fun! Who can forget the energizing feeling that buzzed through the multitude of children when the recess bell rang? Most of the children ran so fast to get the best placement for the games that ensued. The boys all gathered on one side of the playground and the girls on the other.
Many boys gathered up balls, formed two lines and began beaming as many boys in the other line. After the last ball was thrown the winning team would cheer and the game would commence only to be played again the following day. But how was the game played? And why was the majority of this game played by boys? .
First there was the choosing of captains and then they would select their teams. The selection process began by picking the best player first and then the second best until everyone was picked. This hierarchy based entirely of skill had one purpose to win the game of dodge ball. The reason this game contained mostly all boys was competition. And boys love competition. .
The other side of the playground contained a myriad of groups of girls. They were holding hands while skipping rope, chatting about their families and hopping through a pattern of chalk etched on the sidewalk singing songs. No line formations but rather circular ones. The leaders of the girl's group weren't the best players but were the ones talking at that time. The rules were simple everyone played and winning was less important than playing together. The girls simply just enjoyed the company of the others. .
It is my belief that what we learn as youngsters, on and off the playground, has a direct correlation to how men and women function in leadership roles. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that our brains may play a role in how we obtain, achieve and problem solve. Men and women approach problems with similar goals in mind but with different concerns. While men and women can solve problems equally, there approach and their processes are different.