Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts
"Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place."The Girl Scouts' Mission Statement sounds simple enough. But organizing  2.3 million girls and 880,000 adult members to execute a strategy of turning today's girls into tomorrow's leaders is hardly a jaunt in the woods. It takes an efficient, focused, and determined organization that knows who it is and where it's going. Tough Cookies captures the essence of this iconic institution and the principles that have sustained its  100-year history of success.Less than a decade ago, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) faced a coming crisis. Girls were changing, and Girl Scouts struggled to fit into the modern family's busy schedule. On top of that, the organization's unwieldy structure, comprised of 300 disparate councils, undermined its ability to deliver leadership to girls. GSUSA needed to reassert itself as an institution that mattered. In order to execute its strategy, it would need to undergo a restructuring virtually unprecedented in the non-profit sector, merging its 300 councils down to 112 that would each serve tens of thousands of girls.Full of inspired wisdom, Tough Cookies describes Girl Scouts' transformative journey to become an integrated, unified movement for  girls. Learn how this massive non-profit addressed its most pressing challenges, including how to:Rebrand itself not just as a gaggle of cute girls selling cookies and camping, but as the most important organization for girl cultureCreate the world's best personal leadership development model for girlsProvide efficient and effective governance to deliver scouting to girlsMake it easier for volunteers to lead troopsAttract donorsRemain democratic and mission-focused throughout the merger processMillions of American businesswomen, thought leaders, and politicians received their first lessons in salesmanship, money management, marketing, teamwork, and fulfillment from Girl Scouts—as will millions more to come. Discover how lessons from Girl Scouts of the USA can help your organization achieve such lasting  success.