Again not completely applicable but I couldn’t resist. (OK, not applicable at all but it came to mind.) Belle & Sebastian “Step Into My Office Baby”
It’s a well-known fact that even the mildly talented musicians, artists and dancers make woman swoon. As much as I’d like to count myself out of this group, I can’t. John Mayer, Robin Thicke, John Legend, Rob Thomas, Brian McKnight, Usher and the like may be (mildly) talented but they’re not necessarily all that attractive. (I’ve chosen to go with off the top of my head, relatively current singers/musicians because that’s my world but feel free to fill in the blanks for yourself.) I wouldn’t go so far as to say any of these men are “ugly” per se. BUT they all go from “good” to “good Lord” in the eyes of most female fans when they perform (or you listen to their CD, since few artists are actually good live nowadays. Back in my day…) Most men, that are not artists, dancers or musicians, find this change annoying. How can they possibly compete?
The simple answer is: You probably can’t. But if the situation presents itself, it’s about being passionate about something other people understand. Put simply “Passion is attractive.” When a man’s genuinely excited about something he’s created or figured out (as long as it’s not COMPLETELY out of your realm of understanding/agreement), I usually find his description intriguing. You may not be able to follow every detail, you follow his emotion. The intrigue may have something to do with hoping he’d one day be that passionate about you but that would be deeply subconscious if at all. I think it’s more that passion is just attractive.
Musicians, artists, dancers – generally anyone in the creative arts – have it pretty easy. I mean they still have to be creative and seen as good but their passion is (usually) connected to their craft. And their crafts are available for mass consumption. People have deep emotional (and sometimes physical) reactions to visual and auditory stimuli. Expressive art is only truly expressive once the viewer has connected it to something they understand. Romantic music has little impact until the listener begins to daydream and/or reminisce. Dancers are interesting because the audience begins to wish their movements were as powerful and expressive. It all comes down to feeling something and in that way, the creative arts have it easy.
So what’s the common man to do? To be perfectly honest, I don’t know. I have no idea what to tell you. Yes, I realize I just set this whole comparison up with no resolution but what can I say? This blog is just a place to dump thoughts. 🙂 I wanted to give a little background to what I’ve coined “Corporate Crushes.”
Over the last few years (since leaving college really), I’ve had the pleasure/obligation of being tasked with relationship building and consulting. These are vague terms, I understand. And I intend to keep them that way. The important thing to note is that part of my job has been to listen and determine how my organization can help. This required level of listening often lends itself to being exposed to other people’s passions.
(For whatever reason, the majority of the people I encounter are men. I’m sure a corporate crush could translate to a woman. But in my (straight) case, I imagine it would be more of a desired mentor than a crush per se. Anyway….)
As I listen to these men pitch/explain/complain to me, I realize little corporate crushes. I’m in no way actually attracted to them. It’s not at all a physical thing. On the contrary, it’s a simple desire to help them realize their passions, a desire to share their temporary passionate outburst. Their sincerity is usually heartwarming. It’s almost like kids with a new toy and business plan. While I’m sure none of the 35+, C-suite executives would agree with my categorization, it’s just my initial reaction. I can’t help it.
Corporate crushes aren’t anything to be ashamed of. I’m not falling head over heels or offering unrealistic expectations. And the passion has to be backed up by reality. But if everything falls into place, I walk away thinking “How can I help? I want to help.” If they were musicians, I’d walk away in search of the merch table.
Does anyone else experience these temporary “Corporate Crushes”?
Jo’van
The Truth: According to Jo'van 