Finding synergy in Shamu.(killer whale)

Being diminutive and female may lead to humiliating and somewhat degrading experiences when others--often men--feel compelled to doubt, protect or coddle.

As a woman of small stature and slight build, I've been patted on the head, called "little girl" and even had my ability to lead a group of kids questioned--by a burly male administrator, even before the start of a job for which I was fully qualified. I'm betting that this sort of degrading experience rarely happens to my male counterparts in leadership positions.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Size matters

After all, we live in a world where size matters, and the message is "the bigger the better." Think Supersize and SUV's.

This slant on the world allows me to receive many of the implicit messages that society sends to women leaders like myself. Some of us learn quickly that the inverse concept is also perceived to be true: Being small is a sign of weakness. Luckily, I can draw strength from the knowledge that not all species react to size in the same way.

By profession, I am a relatively new female administrator in higher education. By contrast, I have a lifetime of experience as a lover and admirer of the natural world, and certain animals in particular.