Hello, everyone.

Pisces: two fish swimming in opposite directions. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Sun has moved into Pisces and we move on in our Leadership through the Signs series.  In this series, as we progress through each month’s zodiac sign, we’ll explore and uncover the essential leadership qualities for each sign.  We’ll do this by looking at real life examples of established leaders whose birthdays fall into each particular sign.  We’ll test the principles of textbook astrology and add a few guidelines of our own as we discover them.  The purpose of the project is to recognize the leadership qualities we naturally possess and to recognize those qualities in other leaders.

First let’s define what we mean by a leader.  The American Heritage Dictionary defines a leader as 1) a person who leads others along a way; a guide, and 2) one in charge of or in command of others.  For our purposes, we’ll take both definitions and apply them to business life.  In this series we’ll look at thought leaders, political leaders, business leaders, sports figures, and a few of us regular people too.

This month:  Pisces

I had an interesting experience searching for leaders born under the sign of the fish, Pisces.  Don’t worry; I found plenty.  But it wasn’t easy.  First I looked in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list.  Out of all the birthdays I could find, only one was a Pisces, Michael Dell.  Then I checked The New York Times website for their Corner Office series, in which they interview CEOs and other business leaders each week.  Out of all the interviews there, I found 25 birthdates.  Not one was a Pisces.  I searched my astrology program, Solar Fire, for famous people with Piscean birthdays.  I found lots of politicians, very few business people.

What is this saying?  Stereotypically, Pisces are supposed to be more interested in the realm of spirit and vision than mundane achievement and business.  But I’m sure there are many, many people in leadership positions born under the sign, Pisces.  Perhaps they don’t aspire to the upper echelons of power that would position them for a New York Times or Time Magazine article.  Or perhaps their leadership style doesn’t make them good candidates for interviews.  I’m not sure.

But there are still plenty of examples to work with.  Here are a few Pisces leaders:  Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Edward Kennedy, Andrew Jackson, Albert Einstein, Michelangelo, Alexander Graham Bell.  I’m sure we can mine some gold from this cast.  I’m sorry they are all white males so far, but I will keep looking.  If you know of anyone who would be a good candidate, let me know.

We’ll start with George Washington, the first president of the United States.   But first, let’s list some primary traits of the Pisces nature.  (*See the excerpt at the bottom of this post for more discussion of the sign Pisces.)

What the experts tell us

  • Each sign has its keyword, a phrase which captures the essence of the sign.  The keyword for Pisces is “I believe.”    At the highest level, Pisceans operate from an instinctual, connected space, tapped right in to the wisdom of all.

    • (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

  • “The only true freedom for Pisces comes through spiritual orientation.  When they are true to their real nature Pisceans have a high and holy destiny and are the true saviors and servants of mankind.” (Isabel Hickey, Astrology A Cosmic Science)
  • “Pisces is the most sensitive sign of the zodiac and emotions are strong and deep in this sign.  They are moody and introspective and hard to understand.” (Ibid.)
  • “Pisceans need to be alone and …retreat from contact with the world in order to retain their equilibrium.” (Ibid.)
  • “[Pisceans] never feel that they do enough so they often overwork, putting stress and strain on the physical body.” (Ibid.)
  • “The mutable signs (Pisces is the mutable water sign) express themselves as a desire to find knowledge; and with their flexible and adaptable approach, they are not only able to find new knowledge but also have the ability to use it. They bring new ideas, new facts and new ways of seeing things into the world view of the tribe.” (Bernadette Brady, The Zodiac:  Urban Tribes)
  • “Pisces is a water sign, thus [they are] empathic, [they feel] the emotions of others or of patterns. They can empathize and understand, blending their energy with all things. To them the world and its events are a feast of omens and signs.” (Ibid.)
  • Mutable water indicates the quality of…nourishment – flowing everywhere, without limitations, distinctions, or judgments. (Eric Meyers, Elements and Evolution)

Before we get into specific examples of Piscean leadership, think about the list above and look at the symbols.  What would you say is authentic leadership for a Pisces?  Have you known leaders who embodied these attributes?  What was their management style?  How did they accomplish their goals?

Are you a Pisces?  How well do the above traits represent your essence?  Do you overwork?  Are you sensitive to patterns around you?  Do you bring new ways of looking at the world to your team?

This will be a really interesting sign to explore for business, don’t you think?  Remember to leave your comments as we start our discussion of Pisces Leadership.

For the posts on Aquarius Leadership see:

Aquarius Leadership – Yoko Ono

Aquarius Leadership – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Aquarius Leadership – Sarah Palin

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For an Intro to Sun Signs and Leadership see this link to my other blog!

Have you seen my new blog? Discussing all things astrological, for anyone interested in real-life astrology, check out Ellen Longo’s Astrology Blog.

Do you have a question for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – February 2011

*More on Pisces

Pisces is a water sign, concerned with emotional connection. The glyph for Pisces is two fish swimming in opposite directions but tied together, signifying the dual worlds we all inhabit: our interior reality and our external experience.

Pisces is the stage of development in which we have become completely immersed in and identified with others. Our individual spark of ego has become swallowed by the collective whole. In the life cycle of a business, this is a key transition phase when the business either declines or finds a way to begin a new cycle of innovation. The business may retreat from the public eye to retrench, restructure, or terminate.

Pisces is constantly trying to unify; to merge the inner with the outer world. Pisces oversees mysticism and art, as well as humanitarian pursuits. Retreat experiences, such as a cruise or spiritual retreat, are favored by Pisces as well as hospitals, prisons, and other institutions in which individuals withdraw from daily life.

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