Hello, everyone.

Aries, by Jacob Jordaens ca. 1640. (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

The Sun has moved into Aries 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 authentic leadership qualities we naturally possess and allow them to come forward in our business lives. It’s also to better understand others we meet and work with in business.

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.  In this series we’ll look at thought leaders, political leaders, business leaders, sports figures, and a few of us regular people too.

What the experts tell us about Aries

  • Each sign has its keyword, a phrase that captures the essence of the sign.  The keyword for Aries is “I am.”    In the developmental cycle of the zodiac, Aries follows Pisces, the most undifferentiated sign.  The most important task for an Aries is to recognize that they have a separate, independent existence from the whole.  From the unity awareness of Pisces, Aries re-establishes the spark of the individual self.
  • Every sign is comprised of an element, earth, air, fire, or water and a mode, cardinal, fixed, or mutable.  Aries is the cardinal fire sign.  From Donna Cunningham at SkyWriter we learn that all of the fire signs are likely to be lively, outgoing, action-oriented, and warm.  (Are You a Fire Type? Here’s the Score!)
  • Fire signs can have a genius for enrolling others in their enthusiasms, being an inspiring leader who knows how to make things happen.  (Ibid.)
  • When challenged, [fire signs] can be hot tempered and determined to win you over to their point of view.  (Ibid.)
  • Cardinality brings additional traits to Aries.  Per Donna Cunningham, cardinal signs posses an ability to set specific goals and to go after them with all the strength at their command.   (How Cardinal are You? Here’s the Score!)
  • Aries is perhaps the most cardinal of all the cardinal signs in its strong, vital energy.  (Ibid.)

    • Aries, by Giovanni Maria Falconetto, 1515-1520. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

  • Gunzberg and Brady at Astrologos tell us that Aries is the warrior/hunter archetype:  fundamentally aggressive, courageous, and risk-taking.  (The Zodiac – Urban Tribes, Astrologos Studyshop)
  • Aries are strongly focused, highly motivated, and quick tempered.  They seek constant challenges, big and small. (Ibid.)
  • Aries needs to win and becomes insecure if dealing with a string of failures.  (Ibid.)
  • Debra Silverman describes Aries as the high-energy, high-impact movers and shakers of this world.  (A Fun Look at Aries Zodiac Sign in Action )
  • Debra says Aries people want to get things started and to keep things moving, and this sometimes gets them into trouble with others, as they can come across as demanding and pushy. (Ibid.)
  • Aries people are so outspoken that they’ll speak out for everyone, especially the underdog. If something’s wrong or someone’s being hurt, Aries is the first one to stand up and put their foot down. (Ibid.)

These excerpts really give us a sense of this hot, generating Aries energy, don’t they?

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

Are you an Aries?  How well do the above traits represent your essence?  Are you action-oriented and warm?  Are you hot-tempered and determined to win?  How do you handle failure?  Are you a mover and a shaker?

Remember to leave your comments as we begin our discussion of Aries Leadership.

For previous posts in this series, see

Pisces Leadership – Dipping our Toes in the Water

Pisces Leadership – George Washington

Pisces Leadership – Steve Jobs

Pisces Leadership – Albert Einstein, in his own words

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 Astro4Business Month Ahead – March 2011

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