Olivia Pope is changing the way we do business. Every Thursday night, millions of women are tuning in and taking cues from Olivia as they take on the glass ceilings in their own lives. They dress like her, steal her catchphrases, and trust their gut in tough situations – it’s the Olivia Pope effect and it’s transforming careers across the country.
When someone says “I’m channeling my inner Olivia Pope,” they don’t mean “I’m going to sleep with the President Of The United States.” Her name is now synonymous with hustling hard, making things happen, and being the best in the business. Her intimate involvements with Jake and Fitz keep the show’s soapy story lines afloat, but all we can see is her.
We’re in awe of the way she commands a room, cooly and confidently handles political faux pas, and manages a team of Gladiators who are almost as brilliant as she is. She shatters the stereotype that powerful businesswomen must be cold, ruthless, and uptight to be effective at their job. She’s proof that you can be a strong, respected, and adored female leader.
Olivia never apologizes for who she is or what she believes, a stark contrast from a culture that has conditioned women to preface requests with things like “I’m sorry, but…” and “I hate to ask, but…”. Her levels of assertiveness and intensity are a rare find in females on primetime TV, making her appear unbelievably brave and almost superhuman. Truly, Olivia Pope has redefined leadership for a generation of girls who grew up being told to stop being bossy.
Now more than ever, young women are stepping into themselves and chasing down their dreams in the job industry. 61% of millennial women want to hold a managerial position one day, a percentage larger than ever before. Of course, the trend is not totally fueled by Scandal’s leading lady, but her impact certainly hasn’t hurt these numbers.
As more networks follow Shondaland’s lead and create shows that feature powerful women, people will take notice. The stigmas surrounding women in the work force will be broken and more girls will aspire to greatness. But until then, we’ll embrace Olivia in all of her fierceness every Thursday night and aspire to be the type of gladiating #girlboss she is every day of the week.
