National Expert Shares Ground-Breaking Findings of Research on Girls' Style of Leadership...

National Expert Shares Ground-Breaking Findings of Research on Girls' Style of
Leadership (It's Different From Boys'!)

LEADING CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY LEADERS RALLY ROUND GIRLS SCOUTS' LEADERSHIP
EFFORTS

JAN HELLER, EVP, WACHOVIA, AND BOB WOOD, EVP, SODEXO, CHAIR INAUGURAL MEETING

ALLENTOWN, Pa.,March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A nationwide survey of
3,500 youth conducted by Dr. Michael Conn, head of the national Girl Scouts
Research Institute, shows that girls have a distinct measure of leadership,
one that differs markedly from boys.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080312/DC16476LOGO-a)

Dr. Conn, who addressed the inaugural Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
Advisory Council at a breakfast meeting here this morning (March 24), said
that girls actually reject traditional notions of leadership. "My research
found that girls want to exhibit the kind of leadership that embodies personal
principals, ethical behavior and the ability to affect social change." He
added that girls do not respond favorably to more traditional "...command and
control style of leadership."

Advisory Council co-chairs Bob Wood, Executive Vice President of Client
Development, Sodexo and Jan Heller, Regional President/Northeast, Wachovia,
praised the initiative. "This is the kind of research that helps us as
members of the Advisory Council support the track that Girl Scouts is on right
now developing our girls and young women into leaders with confidence and
character and a commitment to serving others," said Wood.

Ms. Heller said that she had been aware of the benefits of Girl Scouting, but
was impressed by the research. "This is also the kind of information that is
crucial to the corporate world as we seek to develop human capital in our
workplace," said Heller. Both Heller and Wood said they were honored to be
leading the Girl Scout initiative to further develop and nurture leadership
skills.

Ann Meredith, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern PA said that Dr. Conn's research
was a key ingredient in Girl Scouts transformative initiatives. "Girl Scouts
is more than just cookies," said Meredith. "What we are seeing is nothing
less that the transformation of girl scouting, a re-energized focus on
leadership as well as a focus on the outcomes of girl scouting, not just the
activities." She said that the research was a key component of driving
leadership forward and expanding its reach into all aspects of the Council
from programming to membership to fund raising. Meredith thanked not only Dr.
Conn, but also Mr. Wood and Ms. Heller. "This is a synergistic effort," she
said. "Everyone working together will produce results for our girls and young
women that are greater than the sum of the individual parts."

Dr. Conn, Ph.D., is Vice President, Research, Girl Scout Research Institute at
Girl Scouts of the USA in New York City and a founding director of the Girl
Scout Research Institute, launched in September 2000. Dr. Conn earned his
Ph.D. from City University of New York Graduate School and University Center.
He is also the co-chair of the National Collaboration for Youth Research.

Girls Scouts of Eastern PA is the largest girl-serving organization in
Pennsylvania. It serves 42,000 girls and 14,000 volunteers in Berks, Bucks,
Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia
counties. Today 80 per cent of all women in leadership and executive roles in
this country were Girl Scouts. Girl Scout alumni comprise 70 per cent of
women in the U.S. Congress. For further information about Girl Scouting, to
sign up, volunteer or donate, contact www.gsep.org or call 610.791.2411.

CONTACT: Noreen Shanfelter
Senior Director Communications
Girl Scouts of Eastern PA
215.564.2030 ext. 1048 (o)
215 317.4479 (cell)
nshanfelter@gsep.org

SOURCE Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania

Noreen Shanfelter, Senior Director Communications, Girl Scouts of Eastern PA,
+1-215-564-2030 ext. 1048 (o), +1-215-317-4479 (cell), nshanfelter@gsep.org