Anna Maria Chavez
Introduction
Anna Maria Chávez is a Mexican-American leader known for breaking barriers as the first woman of color to serve as CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). Her leadership career reflects a strong focus on purpose, empowerment, and inclusion — especially for girls and underrepresented communities.
Chávez has often said that leadership “is about lifting others as you climb,” signaling a relational and values-centered philosophy. While she doesn’t frequently use the word “love”, her focus on empathy, fairness, and service embodies the essence of love in action that defines Big Love Leadership.
⸻
🟩 Purpose
Chávez consistently connects her leadership to mission and meaning. She rooted GSUSA’s strategy in empowering girls to be “leaders of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.”
• She reframed Girl Scouts from a legacy organization into a platform for 21st-century leadership — expanding STEM education, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship.
• Her long-view orientation centered on creating sustainable social impact: developing girls to lead communities, not just earn badges.
• Chávez has spoken openly about her values-based leadership, saying, “When you see something that isn’t right, have the courage to stand up and speak up.”
Results under her leadership:
• GSUSA launched initiatives like Digital Cookie (teaching girls entrepreneurship and digital literacy).
• Expanded partnerships in STEM and leadership with corporations and government agencies.
• Increased visibility of girls as agents of change — not consumers of programming.
➡️ Big Love reflection: Chávez exemplifies purpose as service. Her focus on equipping young women to serve others aligns closely with “why we exist in service to people and planet.”
⸻
🟩 Presence
Chávez leads with authentic care, accountability, and integrity — qualities repeatedly noted by peers and press.
• Known for listening deeply and engaging with empathy across generations and backgrounds.
• Maintains composure and compassion under stress, particularly in times of organizational scrutiny and financial challenge.
• Publicly models vulnerability and self-awareness, sharing her personal journey from a small Arizona town to national leadership as an example of what’s possible.
• Her speeches are filled with messages of connection and courage, grounded in love for community and belief in others’ potential.
“Leadership is not about titles or positions. It’s about one life influencing another.” – Anna Maria Chávez
➡️ Big Love reflection: Her mindful, emotionally intelligent presence inspires trust and belonging — central to the “love in action” dimension of Big Love Leadership.
⸻
🟩 People
A hallmark of Chávez’s leadership is her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
• As the first Latina CEO of GSUSA, she expanded representation at all levels, ensuring leadership reflected the communities the organization served.
• She mentored countless women and girls, promoting pathways into leadership, STEM, and civic engagement.
• Advocated for equity and voice, often spotlighting stories of girls from underserved backgrounds in national forums.
• Internally, she was known for recognizing contributions and creating collaborative environments where people felt seen.
➡️ Big Love reflection: Chávez acts with love toward all stakeholders — not only empowering girls but modeling inclusive leadership for the organization and beyond.
⸻
🟩 Processes
Chávez modernized GSUSA’s systems and decision-making processes with transparency and innovation.
• Pushed for digital transformation (Digital Cookie, Girl Scout Research Institute modernization).
• Promoted sustainable design in operations and programs — emphasizing relevance, fairness, and accessibility.
• Encouraged co-design with members and volunteers, inviting input on programming and mission updates.
• Advocated for clearer communication — explaining not just the “what” but the “why” behind organizational shifts.
➡️ Big Love reflection: Her leadership modernized systems without losing their soul — a blend of compassion and clarity that mirrors the “fair, transparent, and sustainable systems” Big Love ideal.
⸻
🟩 Performance
Chávez consistently linked results to purpose, not just numbers.
• Set ambitious but human-centered goals — measuring success by girls’ growth, confidence, and civic participation, not only membership metrics.
• Promoted innovation through learning, framing challenges as opportunities for renewal.
• Encouraged reflection on sustainability — how to keep the mission thriving while adapting to changing times.
• Recognized collective achievements and celebrated milestones with gratitude and humility.
Notable Outcomes:
• Reinvigorated Girl Scouts’ national brand and programming relevance.
• Elevated GSUSA’s advocacy profile in Washington, D.C.
• Inspired broader cultural conversations about girls’ leadership, equity, and representation.
➡️ Big Love reflection: Her balance of compassion and performance exemplifies “results with renewal and sustainability.”
⸻
Summary & Recommendations
Anna Maria Chávez is a powerful example of Big Love Leadership in practice. Her leadership integrates purpose, empathy, and inclusion while driving measurable, lasting impact.
Areas for continued growth:
• In larger systems like GSUSA, sustaining participatory decision-making amid hierarchy can be challenging; embedding deeper mechanisms for shared governance could amplify Big Love processes.
• Making the language of love more explicit in corporate and nonprofit discourse could further humanize leadership culture — something Chávez models implicitly but rarely names.
⸻
Conclusion
Anna Maria Chávez demonstrates that love and leadership are not opposites — they are complementary forces. Her career shows how purpose, presence, people, processes, and performance can be aligned in service to humanity, particularly in developing young women to lead with heart and courage.
“We are all connected. When one girl succeeds, she pulls another up behind her.” – Anna Maria Chávez
Her work offers a vivid reminder that Big Love Leadership is not just about results — it’s about renewal, representation, and the courage to care out loud.
⸻
References
• Girl Scouts of the USA – Leadership History
• Anna Maria Chávez Biography – Wikipedia
• Forbes: “Leadership Lessons from Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chávez”
• TIME: 50 Women Who Lead with Purpose, Anna Maria Chávez Interview
⸻
Analysis conducted by ChatGPT using the Big Love Leadership criteria provided, for Calocedrus Partners.