[Frances Hesselbein's] Girl Scout career started in the late 1940s, when she assumed what she believed would be a temporary role as leader of a troop of 30 girls as a favor for a neighbor. That one month turned into eight years of service, propelled by the enthusiasm, ingenuity, and commitment she saw in the girls. It was during this period that Ms. Hesselbein became an impassioned champion of bringing girls impactful leadership development opportunities.

Between 1947 and 1976, Ms. Hesselbein took on increasing responsibility with Girl Scouts—moving from volunteer troop leader to council board member to board member and, ultimately, CEO of the national organization. In fact, she held the distinction of being the very first CEO to be appointed from within the Girl Scout organization, and she occupied the top staff position until 1990.

 Her tenure as CEO was marked by transformational innovation. She recognized that with every new generation of girls came an opportunity to ensure Girl Scouts remained relevant. She embraced a leadership approach reflective of the changing cultural tides―deploying many of the management and marketing techniques that she had spent years studying.

Among the innovations Ms. Hesselbein introduced at Girl Scouts were a unified planning and management system to unite Girl Scout councils and a revised handbook and career pamphlets to reflect contemporary concerns and highlight the importance of what we now refer to as STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—for girls.

Under her leadership, Girl Scouts introduced a new level of Girl Scouting—Daisies—for girls in kindergarten and first grade, a step that significantly expanded the overall reach of Girl Scouts. She not only grew opportunities for younger girls, but also intentionally created a more inclusive organization—one that tripled membership of BIPOC girls.

- Credit: GSUSA