I once had a boss who described me as a “maverick”. I wasn’t sure I understood her meaning so I googled the definition: an independent thinker who refuses to conform to the accepted views on a subject. Wow, was that a punch in the stomach or a high five? I took the compliment.
I never really thought of myself as refusing to conform to accepted views. But I do toss the status quo in the trash bin if it means following someone else’s beliefs and opinions. And here is why – it puts me in a box. It takes away my vista.
I am not saying I am an outlier in the full Malcolm Gladwell sense. I haven’t wracked up those 10,000 hours yet. What I do share with fellow mavericks and outliers is an open vista of my world. I choose to see a full array of colors, shapes and ideas with curiosity and awe. I am open to picking up an idea, playing with it and perhaps discarding or reshaping it.
How did I come to be a maverick? I was a shy and sensitive child. The world amazed me and I was intensely curious. I grew up with an intelligent, creative well-read father who had left school early. He is the type of person who always sees the world from a slightly off kilter angle. He never accepts anyone else’s truth and always challenges norms and rules. I suppose his influence gave me license to look beyond what appears in front of me.
My first inkling I was a rule breaker is when I studied to be a teacher. It didn’t take me long to figure out I didn’t fit into that carefully crafted box. Back in the ‘80’s, education was based on standards, rubrics and keeping students on one path forward. Fast forward to the present. When I left the corporate world I came to realize I didn’t fit into that box anymore. I need the freedom to make my own choices, put myself on the line and step up to the plate, without someone else’s backdrop.
What is the secret to the maverick? It is a state of being for sure. But there are 5 behaviours that separate the maverick from the pack. See if you measure up to the big M:
- Chooser –we decide how we want to view and perceive the world. We make our own minds up even if our choice is against the status quo.
- Rule-breaker – if someone says we can’t do something, we go ahead anyway.
- Courage – when things don’t go our way or if we see a better road, we step up and take it, especially when things aren’t going well.
- Risk takers – we take risks (usually calculated) on the road less travelled and aren’t afraid that failure may be the outcome.
- We keep our eyes on the path ahead always looking for possibilities rather than staying with what is known in the here and now. This gives us a better view.
As I wrote this blog, I took a break and flipped to Linkedin, to find a leading blog by none other than Deepak Chopra, How I Discovered I Was a Maverick at Heart. It is part of the series #BestMistake. How serendipitous. Perhaps there is a little maverick in all of us?
Go ahead and share this blog with fellow maverick wannabe’s!