How C.U.N.T.s go back to the office after lockdown
Many of us are facing going back to the office soon, and all the fear and apprehension that come with it. To many of us the prospect seems daunting. No more working in pyjamas, duvet days or what my friends calls doing working from your “horizontal desk”, sipping quarantinis (according to official lockdown lingo a random mix of whatever alcohol is currently in your cupboard). In other words, scary stuff.
Some of us will be able to go through this transition easily though thanks to being C.U.N.Ts. Yes, you read that right! I’m rebranding the word cunt so that instead of being the rudest thing you could possibly say to someone, it’s a sign of inner power and also a compliment. C.U.N.Ts are curious, unapologetic, notorious and trusting and thanks to these qualities they are well balanced leaders of workplaces of the future. Let’s take a moment to look at these characteristics to understand how they can help us at times such as this and how to develop them.
Those who are curious (C in C.U.N.T.) are fundamentally open to life and experiences that it brings. They know that every minute of every day can be different and being something interesting into your life if you know how to look. Curiosity is an attribute of leadership from the feminine part (which you have access to regardless of your gender), it implies allowing instead of taking, which is a quality of the masculine part. And so, if you can allow for more curiosity to enter your life, coming back to the office won’t mean “same old” challenges and troubles. It will help you to look at things in a new light. People who are truly curious look at things that are challenging to others with more of a light-hearted perspective. And they definitely have more fun. The curious are not easily fazed or disturbed by everyday bothers of the office life. Instead of getting involved in politics, they watch from the sidelines, amused. And, quite obviously, they never get bored but find life as such infinitely interesting, no matter the circumstances.
People who are unapologetic (U in C.U.N.T.) aren’t going to wait for the office life after lockdown to be satisfying, possibly even more so than before, they are going to take matters into their own hands and make sure that it is!
Unapologetic is a masculine quality, associated more with doing rather than being. It’s an active stance that implies taking from life whatever you want (including squeezing your lemons to make a lemonade). When you’re unapologetic, you don’t apologise to anyone for the scope and breadth of your vision as a leader. You claim your power and your place. You simply and methodically create for yourself the life and the career you know that you deserve. Maybe the return to the office could look just like that for you this time?
The notorious (N in C.U.N.T.) are those who are relentlessly badass about their lives and careers. This is a quality of leadership from the masculine part (present in all humans, regardless of gender). The notorious are active in pursuing their dreams and don’t let anyone mess with their vision. They love challenges such as coming back to the office after lockdown because it provides a priceless opportunity to redefine oneself, to start anew. If they experience fear or anxiety, they take away the negative “labels” we put on these feelings and transform the raw energy underneath into excitement and anticipation. The notorious are the modern pirates who take shortcuts to achieve just what they want. They are the ones who take the roads less travelled or invent new routes to begin with. Life is fun indeed for this badass crew.
Those who are trustful (T in C.U.N.T.) are best at surrendering to what the transition has to bring and adapting to the circumstances. Trustful is a quality of the feminine leadership part within all of us and therefore is connected to being as opposed to doing. If you truly trust that things are going the right way and you are just where you’re meant to be, you won’t be easily knocked off your course. If anything unexpected happens, you will adapt quickly and easily. While unapologetic and notorious, the qualities of leadership from the masculine part described earlier imply acting and pursuing your agenda, being trustful is more about receiving and accepting what’s already here. It’s also about being mindful of the bigger picture other than just your own interests. Finally, it’s about surrendering to the way things want to unfold naturally in the knowledge that all in all, we control very little. The trustful have the wisdom to not rush anything and to stay in tune with the wider flow of things.
There is a space for each of the qualities mentioned above on the spectrum of a well-rounded leader. As you probably noticed, being curious and trustful but not having the agency the other two qualities bring won’t get you far. In a similar way, being unapologetic and notorious without any traits of leadership from the feminine part will make you shortsighted and ungrounded in the bigger picture. My wish for this year is to become more masterful when it comes to leading from my feminine part, both when it comes to inner leadership, how I handle myself and external expression of it, how I handle my relationships with other people. And you, which qualities you wish were more embedded in your leadership? Feel free to comment below and best of luck becoming a full-rounded C.U.N.T.!
