I recall many occasions when I had to choose between going along with practices and policies that I knew to be inefficient, unproductive, or completely wrong and standing up for what I believed to be the right way to do things. In many cases, these decisions placed me at odds with my superiors. I’m sure there were times when backing down—or at least modifying my expectations temporarily—would have made my life easier. But in almost every case, I chose to continue pressing for accuracy, fairness, best practices, and efficiency, all the while knowing I was likely placing myself at the bottom of the popularity polls—at least, as far as my bosses were concerned. While I don’t regard myself as any sort of hero for doing what I believed was both proper and in the best interests of my organization, I do recognize that in much of corporate America, “go along/get along” is the tacitly accepted rule of the road, especially for women. We are expected to comply, be good soldiers, take one for the team, and salute the colors on the way out the door. To think for ourselves, or, heaven forbid, to refuse to bow to the wishes of the organization, however misguided they are, almost always makes us suspect in the eyes of the powers that be. In other words, to insist on our own rights of independent thought and action is to do the unexpected, even the unthinkable. As I have encountered the stories of women who “misbehave”, I have discovered that most, if not all of them did what was considered unthinkable—at least for a woman—during their lives. They dared to defy cultural expectations in order to chart their own courses in history. And in so doing, they have changed our world. I invite you to imagine your own course. What might you accomplish—in your home, your workplace, your community—if there was no one who could stop you or stand in your way? As you consider those possibilities, I challenge you to take the next step: dare to define your own possibilities, rather than continue to allow others to define them for you. As you meet some of the women who have inspired me as they dared to reject stereotyping and societal definition, allow their courage to find its way into your heart and kindle your dreams.