Leslie’s Articles
10 Things You Need to Know
We admire them, we swear at them, and we swear by them. Some of us work for them, work with them, or are related to them. How we see these people is very much a matter of what role they fill in our personal or professional lives: how we are connected to them. They are always in some way bigger than life.
Most people admire them from afar. You could make the argument that many have changed the world or at the very least changed their world. Who are they? They are people who think big and speak big and dress big. I call them Forces of Nature.
Do you know a Force of Nature? They are the people who sweep into a room taking all of the attention and seemingly all of the oxygen. They see life differently than us mere mortals. They also think the rules of life apply differently to them than us mere mortals. You may work for one, be married to one, or have one that works for you. Regardless of the relationship you have with your Force of Nature, you will benefit from knowing the proper care and handling of this limited edition breed.
What to know about your Force of Nature: (henceforth known as FON)
- They don’t take responsibility for what they do.
They are like a tornado that comes and wreaks all kinds of havoc and then innocently asks, who me? The most effective way to keep them accountable to their word and deed is through questions. - They send others to do their dirty work.
Remember this so you are not inclined to kill the messenger. Whoever is delivering your news is not the one who created the message. FON’s like to create havoc and stand aside. They are likely to light the match and then innocently ask who started the fire. Look beyond the messenger to see the big picture. - Feeding them makes them hungrier.
Your FON has an insatiable appetite for everything: power, money, jewelry. The problem is that they never get full. Mere mortals get full when we get fed. Feeding a FON just makes them hungrier. There is never enough . . . of anything. When you understand this you will understand that giving in to them or giving them more is not the answer. Setting up boundaries and sticking to them is the answer. - Forces of Natures don’t see the bigger picture.
FON’s tend to be more tactical thank strategic. They look at the process rather than the results of the process. Their force can be invaluable but not their vision. So team up a FON with the right vision and you have a winning combination. - You can identify them by their appellate.
It may be their hair, jewelry, or eye glasses. In some way they wear their own uniform: they look different than a mere mortal. It may be in the quantity or the quality but there will be wearing more of something. - They take all the oxygen then ask why you can’t breathe.
Their standard operating procedure is to put the oxygen mask on themselves first. They take all the sunlight and then ask why you are cold and pale. They usually don’t even know they are doing it. You need to be consistent in what you need and how you request what you need. Consistency is key so that you are consistent in the inconsistent world of a FON. - They think anything can be changed at any time.
Deadlines of any kind are not meant for them. They truly believe with a call, a wave of their magic wand, they can change anything. Your task is to stay consistent to a deadline. EVENTUALLY they will adapt. - They think if they think it they can say it.
FON’s have a different internal censer than the rest of us. When working or living with a FON you need to keep your flak jacket rolled down to your ankles and down to your wrists. They don’t mean those verbal arrows to go through your heart. So protect your vital organs from a death blow by allowing their arrows to simply fall off of you without doing any harm. - They tend to see that there is only one way, their way.
Use their force in constructive ways. Unleash their ability to heat seek their target on worthy targets such as prospects, vendors, and clients rather than internal team members. - FON’s have their own reality and often get people to buy into it.
A FON can get an employee to come in two days after surgery or early from a pregnancy leave. Use their penchant for a dual reality in positive ways for employees.
The force of a Force of Nature is undeniable. Used for the good, their force can change their world and your world in positive ways.
