When you think about these two plants, what comes into your mind. The dandelion is a weed and seems to turn up everywhere on our lawns and the lawns of our neighbors every Spring and Summer. Orchids are beautiful and yet seem fragile. They are hard to grow but when they bloom, we see such beauty. I recently read an article by David Dobbs in the Atlantic magazine in the issue dated December, 2009. The article entitled “Orchid Children” explored the important topic of behavioral genetics. Dodds explored numerous research studies of animals and humans in this important area of genetics. He first explored the studies of professors of family and child studies. The major findings of this research in which the genes that seem to give us trouble as a species and raise the question of why we find many people who are self-destructive and anti-social and yet seem to add to our adaptability as a biological species. There are children who seem to become anti-social, depressed , addicted to drugs ,and destructive when they have bad parenting or come from bad environments. When the environment is good and the parenting is possible, these children may turn out successful and happy people. These orchid children are clearly impacted by their early life. If orchids are nurtured, they thrive. With the bad environment, they don’t bloom. Yet, there are children who show great adaptability and flexibility and seem to thrive wherever you put them. These are the dandelion children. Primate research studies seem to support this research.
When I read this article, a light bulb went off. Dandelion will manage to survive and often thrive under any type of leader in any environment. They will find the silver lining in all situations. They look for the positive. They will often become leaders themselves. Thriving orchid people will do well if their upbringing was positive and nurturing. If their upbringing was negative, they will not do well. They will become quite depressed in controlling leadership situations. They lack the adaptability gene. Thus, the important question in understanding your reaction to your superiors is whether you are an orchid who thrives only if your background was positive and nurturing or a dandelion that seems to be able to adapt almost anywhere.
Rowitz On Leadership 