Photo: courtesy of Time."I'm not bossy, I'm the boss," Beyoncé proclaimed in a Lean In campaign earlier this year. Today, she's backing up that statement and joining three other notable figures on the cover of the 11th annual Time 100 issue. Respect.
Along with fellow cover stars Robert Redford, openly gay NBA star Jason Collins, and GM CEO Mary Barra, Mrs. Carter has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world. According to Sheryl Sandberg, who wrote the accompanying testimonial, the pop star's influence extends well beyond her catchy singles and covetable style.
“Beyoncé doesn't just sit at the table," writes Sandberg, who worked with the singer on the "Ban Bossy" campaign. "She builds a better one. Today she sits at the head of the boardroom table at Parkwood Entertainment." Sandberg goes on to list Bey's many accomplishments: the sold-out Mrs. Carter World Tour, motherhood, and last year's self-titled album that "shattered music-industry rules — and sales records."
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"Her secret," Sandberg adds, "[is] hard work, honesty and authenticity. And, her answer to the question, What would you do if you weren’t afraid? appears to be 'Watch me. I’m about to do it.' Then she adds, 'You can, too.'"
Bey is just one of our favorite ladies to make Time's list. Hillary Clinton, Kerry Washington, Natalie Massenet, Phoebe Philo, Christy Turlington, Amy Adams, Robin Wright, Serena Williams, economists Janet Yellen and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Orange Is The New Black creator Jenji Kohan are also featured, And, yes, Miley Cyrus made the cut, too, earning a glowing profile from godmother Dolly Parton. Deal with it.
Let's hear it for these incredible women. May they inspire us to empower ourselves and others, live gracefully, and, maybe, just maybe, bust a killer dance move every now and then. (Time)