Bodacious Business Horoscopes: Lavish Leo!

This month’s “Bodacious Business Horoscopes” entry highlights that regally royal member of the zodiac system, Leo the Lion.

My good friend King (or Queen) Leo rules the astrological skies from July 21 or 22 to August 22, and greatly esteems both the limelight and applause. I’ll speculate that the high-performing sales or marketing professionals at your company are predominantly (astrological) Leos.

Whether an attention-seeking Leo is loud and proud or quietly majestic, most astrologers believe a shy Lion/Lioness is a rare commodity.

Disclaimer: This post is a business parody of Western astrology. By All Writes isn’t responsible for any bizarre events that occur at your place of business as a result of this month’s profile about the Leos on your payroll. Please drive to the next window…

Leo is a Fixed Fire Sign–Here’s What It Means for Your Business: As the fixed fire sign of the zodiac, Leos are natural leaders, though quite opinionated and “settled” regarding how they operate.

According to The Zodiac Little Giant® Encyclopedia,

“Fire changes substances, and Leos like transforming things with their energy. Being a fixed sign, Leos may be loyal, stubborn, and proud of their achievements.”

Don’t be surprised when the fearless folks at your company willing to face an angry client or pinch-hit during an important presentation turn out to be Leos.

Independent Leos Appreciate an Audience (and Plenty of Control, and a Luxurious Office): To be blunt, your Leonine employees are take-charge gals and guys. Rather than making them feel inferior or subordinate to you, it’s better to let them rule a small kingdom of their own.

Although the Lions in your office are relentless when pursuing a new client, account or project, their self-regard requires that you offer steady praise and admiration for their ambitious abilities.

On the flip side, a Leo CEO or business owner can be an overzealous charmer who (sometimes) takes credit for a subordinate’s hard work. Fortunately, Mr. or Ms. Leo generously bestows praise and compliments upon devoted employees. Yes, Leo is the zodiac equivalent of the Pied Piper!

Oh, one last thing: Leos love dwelling in luxurious surroundings, and the work environment is no exception. Keep this in mind when a Leonine new hire queries you about his or her assigned office/cubicle, the furniture it holds, access to direct sunlight, and proposed wall furnishings.

Best gifts for your Leo workmates: replicas of famous paintings and other works of art, unlimited coffee access, a plush chair, or anything made of cashmere…

The Leo in Your Professional Den Is an Outgoing and Accepting “Big Cat”: In general, employees and leaders whose sun sign falls into Leo’s house are the founding members of any company’s “welcome wagon.” Additionally, these majestic cats do not tolerate failure at work!

Your Lions’ most positive traits: honest and loyal, a happy disposition, dignified, generous and hospitable (but can edge into spendthrift ways), friendly, and courageous (bordering on self-sacrifice).

Per The Zodiac Little Giant Encyclopedia, “Leo often shows his or her inner strengths when under great pressure or when a crisis occurs.” When your business encounters a precarious situation, rely on a Leo to handle it à la Harvey Keitel’s debonair portrayal of Winston Wolfe in Pulp Fiction.

Whether related to you by blood or nondisclosure agreement, self-assured Leo will extinguish business fires with a powerful “roar” (and never apologize for how s/he makes it happen).

Leo Employees and Executives Can Be Immune to Others’ Suggestions: All zodiac signs have their negative traits, and Leo is no exception. Sure, these intrepid peeps are the ones most likely to take a professional bullet for you. But they also keep a few imperfections under wraps.

Your Lion/Lioness can be: stubborn and willful, arrogant, boastful, indifferent, and, as previously mentioned, has a tendency to take credit for other people’s work.

Be advised that the Leos in your office enjoy being part of a team. But without a sense of recognition as a leader, they might lose confidence and not deliver their personal best.

No matter the level or title, a Leo with a tangible “empire” will motivate the troops to trudge up the slope of the steepest project, presentation, or problem.

Leos Will Sell Just About Anything (and Do So with Assertive Flair): Never go in against a Leo when a huge business transaction or new account or new product is on the line (not so inconceivable, I think). The Leonine professionals you employ are born salespeople who excel at showmanship.

Here’s a sampling of names you’ll recognize:

Sheldon Adelson, über-rich casino mogul who runs the Las Vegas Sands Corporation (and dabbles a smidgen in politics)…

Steve Case, co-founder and former CEO of America Online (that’s AOL to you and me–antiquated dial-up sound not included)…

Coco Chanel, the French fashion designer who liberated women from their “corseted silhouettes” and allegedly promoted the “little black dress”…

Malcolm Forbes, a Brooklyn boy who inherited the Forbes publishing empire from his father, B.C. Forbes…

Henry Ford, a pricing genius of the automotive industry who initially viewed the world in black and … black.

Madonna, who is–let’s be honest–a savvy businesswoman with a net worth of $800 million (that’s a lot of cone bras!)…

Jimmy Wales, founder of the ever-present, all-knowing, omnipotent online sage of massive amounts of information, Wikipedia…

A Completely Speculative Business Interpretation of Leo’s Astral Assets: Here’s something you don’t see every day–a business interpretation of a zodiac sign’s ruling planet, lucky day, lucky numbers, and primary colors.

When hiring new employees, please refrain from asking about these astrological bits and pieces during the interview process:

Ruling Planet = the Sun (No doubt about it: Your Leos emulate the Sun King [aka Louis the XIV of France] and Ra [aka the Egyptian Sun God]. Feign ignorance regarding their need for adulation at your own risk.)

Lucky Day = Sunday (Because why should Leos relax and stop thinking about tomorrow’s big sales presentation, when they could ask their kids to time them as they practice? Exactly…)

Lucky Numbers = luckiest number of all is 5 (Most Leos love gambling in increments of five when visiting the local casino…)

Primary Colors = gold and orange (A Leo is likely to show up to a meeting with that new client s/he snagged for your company in these commanding colors: an orange tie for the kings, bold gold accessories for the queens in your office…)

Final Snide Commentary on Leo the Lion by the Author of Born on a Rotten Day: Per astrologer Hazel Dixon-Cooper (and her outrageous sense of humor), Leo is “the most dominant, arrogant, and self-centered” creature prowling your hallways.

One of her most irreverent comments regarding Leo bosses and subordinates:

“This boss will ask you to rewrite the cost-savings plan, and after you stay up all night doing so, will tell his boss he stayed up all night…His office will be decorated with statues of African fertility gods and a leather couch for those power naps he takes while you go without lunch…She sees you as one of her subjects and, therefore, wastes little time in either small talk or pleasantries…Your Leo coworkers are too busy trying to win the Employee of the Year award than to try for your job.”

 

Does Leo the Lion rule your birth date? If so, did this profile trigger any head-shakes for you regarding accuracy? What other interpretive traits would you add to this zodiac sign from a business perspective?

For those of you with a birthday dwelling in another house, your blog post will come, I promise. Next up, toward the end of August, will be Virgo the Virgin (hold your own snide commentary until then).

In the meantime, please share this post with the courageous Leo working by your side or in the next cubicle…

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business-to-business (B2B) writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print or web marketing and educational copy. Please call Lori Shapiro at 856-810-9764 or e-mail By All Writes LLC at lori@byallwrites.biz  for a no-obligation project quote today!