Leos coworkers were obsessed with zodiac signs, constantly discussing astrology, gossiping about other employees and their personalities, flaws, and foiblesthe result, in their opinions, of the position of the stars on the day they were born.
When they got around to asking for Leos birthday, the Reddit user whose account has since been deleted, wasnt buying in.
I told them a fake birthday without even knowing the sign associated with it. It turns out, that, based on this information, Im a Leo, Leothe name Fortune gave the anonymous zodiac scammerwrote on Reddit about a year ago. They practically fell all over themselves telling me how much sense that made. You have such a creative spirit! or Youre so generous! or (my favorite) Youre so VITAL.'
Leo doesnt believe in the validity of astrology. More accurately, they said in the Reddit post its one of the dumbest and most unscientific things anyone could believe. Leo said they would quicker give credit to flat Eartherswhich may be extremebut theyre certainly not alone in their dismissal of astrological signs. At the same time, its an increasingly prevalent topic of conversation in offices across the country, as people embrace star signs as a way to explain why their computer is on the fritz (is Mercury in retrograde?) or why they will never get along with their boss (Geminis and Scorpios are polar opposites).
Astrology is not a very scientific way to answer questions, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology. It doesnt meet the criteria for scientific testing, despite dabbling in some scientific knowledge. But that doesnt stop some 70 million people from reading their horoscopes every day, according to the American Federation of Astrologers.
As the industry has exploded in recent yearsrevenue for U.S. astrology-based apps grew nearly 65% in 2019 to $40 million and hit $44 million in 2021 before coming back down to earth last yearthe use of zodiac signs to explain behaviors, personalities, and the like has clawed deeper into the zeitgeist and everyday conversation. So maybe its not surprising its leaving a mark on the workplace.
The ripple effect of astrology-obsessed millennials entering middle and upper management roles cant be overlooked as a factor. According to a 2012 National Science Foundation study, roughly 58% of respondents age 18-24 believe astrology is based in scienceand those people are now 29-35 with jobs (at least some of them, probably).
I thought it would be kind of funny to do this and then reveal to them later that Im not a Leo at all to see how they reacted and covered for themselves to justify their ongoing belief in magic star influences, Leo continued.
The lie, however, made its way to their boss, who Leo says believed that being a Leo meant there were certain projects and opportunities at work theyd be perfect for. They started getting more challenging and promising work because of their fake sign; how Leos boss viewed them and the impact they had on the company and coworkers changed.
After a presentation to clients, I was recently told that my Leo spirit was really carrying the team through such a difficult deadline, Leo wrote. Now Im genuinely worried that someone is going to figure out my real birthday.
Taking it all with a grain of salt
Theres some validity in using astrology and zodiac signs in a work setting, both to determine where someone might excel and what might motivate them, as well as when it comes to building a team, celebrity astrologer Susan Miller tells Fortune.
Yes in terms of compatibility, astrology can help with that. But you have to be very careful, Miller says. We dont do astrology profiling. You cant cross out a whole section of the zodiac because you had a bad experience with one person.
Miller, a 14-time best-selling author whos garnered something of a cult following since launching her Astrology Zone website, where shes published horoscopes since 1995, said learning someones sign could be useful in a job interview setting, but the problem is too many people are astrology hobbiests. Miller often finds herself defending her industry against the everyday, first-date star-sign reader or the overwhelming number of social media astrologersnot to mention the Leos of the world.
Whoevers doing the chart should be certified, Miller says. There are a number of certifications one can get to make them an accredited astrologer. And even then, Miller acknowledges astrologists dont know everything. If I read your chart I wouldnt know everything about you. Im going to do my research and follow up, ask for more detail.
Star signs in the workplace
You want someone whos flexible? Then Virgos, Pisces, Geminis, and Sagittarius: They listen and adjust well.
A Capricorn wants to be groomed for leadership.
If you want someone truly creative, you want a Pisces, but dont make them come in at 9 a.m.
If youre hiring a Leo, they may not want to take direction.
A Taurus is interested in the benefits. Theyre slow and so very careful and detailed. If you need someone to look at every comma, every em dash, you couldnt find a better sign.
Scorpios are loyal and quiet. They do very good deep research.
A Libra loves the law.
Aries is the entrepreneur. They spark fires; theyll start businesses.
Susan Miller
Miller says she has never incorporated zodiac signs into her hiring practice, but there are companies that haveshe obviously sees the appeal. Cat Lincoln has been using office astrology at her influencer marketing company CLEVER for years. Its a way to simply better understand each other, knock down walls, and allow people to be their whole selves at work, the 53-year-old Gemini tells Fortune.
CLEVER isnt trading in actual astrology, Lincoln says, though the 22-person staff does know each others signs. Astrology is just a part of her management style, that also includes using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and other personality tests to foster a transparent and safe space in order to better communicate and understand how they work together.
We dont make business decisions based on astrology, Lincoln says. But its humanizing. Its fun, and it kind of lowers peoples defenses to call it office astrology. Its definitely a business decision to treat people like people.
Corporate America has long relied on personality testsone could argue another pseudo-scienceto help with people management. Tests like Myers-Briggs, Gallups CliftonStrengths Assessment, Color Code, and the DiSC model are all variations on a workplace staple that seek to pin down employees talents, leadership styles, and communication strengths and weaknesses among other things.
Offices are no strangers to the personality hire either. Think of personality hires as the glue guys, the funny, or simply entertaining coworker who keeps things light with all the charm and charisma often lacking in corporate settings. They can be invaluable to a workplace, as long as theyre not dragging down the work of course.
One could argue theres room for astrology to nestle in among the rest of these corporate personality assessors meant to motivate employees and cultivate a company culture. But its one piece of the puzzlea starting pointlike anything else.
The best way to use astrology would be to encourage a persons talents, Miller says.
No manager wants to end up with a Zodiac scammer like Leo, who put themselves in an uncomfortable position just to fit in.
I am basically caught up in a lie thats based on nonsense to begin with and Im really confused about what to do, Leo wrote. I will probably never tell anyone at work this information Imagine my boss firing me for pretending to be a Leo? Thats SUCH a Pisces thing to do
