You know the term ‘rainmaker,’ right? These are the people who bring in the money. They’re the lawyers who attract big clients, the high-grossing salesman, the partners who have a knack for finding new streams of revenue.
Wanna be one? Then look a little deeper into the weather analogy it’s based on.
The rain comes, the flowers grow…what’s that old saying? “April showers bring May flowers…”
In terms of weather patterns, the higher the barometric pressure, the less chance there is of rain. High pressure typically means a sunny, clear day. We love to have and play in these days, but if we experience too many of them in a row we get drought – the metaphorical opposite of success.
We live in a culture of stress and high pressure — as if it’s the high pressure that will produce the “rain” of success. There’s almost this idea that if you’re not stressed, you’re not working hard enough. We are under pressure to win, to do better, to beat our previous best in a never-ending stream of improvement and “success.” But in weather, it’s when pressure lowers that space opens up for the clouds to roll in and the life-giving rain to pour. Kind of ironic, don’t you think? High pressure doesn’t make rain; low pressure does. And yet we continually place ourselves and our rainmakers under tremendous pressure.
To be fair, some pressure is good. After all, we like the sunny days. They push us to get outside, to exercise or play at the park, to enjoy the beach…and as a result, we feel better (huh, now there’s a thought: pressure that actually causes you to “feel better”). And let’s be honest: the rains are life-giving, but those May flowers need the sun just as much to bloom and open to their full potential. As with too many things, we have it ‘bass ackwards.’ What if pressure was the thing that makes us happy, rather then leading to heart disease — and low pressure produced the results? What might that look like?
As with most things, the “pressure” we place on ourselves to be a “rainmaker” requires an ebb and flow, a give and take, a time to amp up the pressure in a positive, fun, empowering way, and a time to let it drop so you can let new experiences and opportunities in. With them come the life-giving rains that nourish and feed us, our business, and our organizations. Ease up, find the balance you need, and remember: pressure and stress aren’t always the magic ingredients. How will you ease into a steady shower of success?
