Traveling around the country, I meet a lot of “those people.”  There are really two types of “those people.”

First, there are “those people” who suck the oxygen out of every room they enter.  They carry that black cloud with them on a string.  If it is not raining, it will be raining soon and they are often leading the rain dance.  They are actually happy with their misery.  Nothing makes them more unhappy than happiness.  Theirs, or especially yours.  I usually hear about them from others who pull me aside and tell me in a hushed tone that they are one of “those people.”

Interestingly, the other group that gets called “those people” are the ones who generate light and heat in their organizations.  They do not see the glass as half empty or half full… they see it as waiting to be filled.  They have great energy and enthusiasm.  Everybody loves those people, right?

Nope.  I usually hear about them in hushed tones as well.  Many don’t like “those people” either.  They make it hard to maintain the status quo and very few people like change.  The positive group of “those people” often get undermined by their own teams who would prefer that everything stays the same.

The truth is that nothing really ever stays the same.  “Those people” are going to lead you somewhere, up or down, forward or backward.  Which group of “those people” you choose to get on board with will determine which way you go.

Are you one of “Those People?”