Are you an anomaly (anomalous leader) or do you fit in with the rest of the crowd. Are you a leader who conveniently assimilates or remains authentic?
You just landed a new leadership position at a booming company. Your friend who hooked you up with the initial informal interview is ecstatic about you accepting the offer. Now you’re in the midst of learning about your new environment. You’ve had many formal and informal conversations with senior executives, peers and team members about the company’s culture.
Will you assimilate into your new environment?
Will you cultivate the environment with your unique way of viewing the world? (your unique neurological map)
Will you pollinate the environment to produce fruit?
It is a challenge at times to be an anomaly, naturally. In other words, you want to be yourself but you also want a cultural fit. Being an anomaly is NOT adjusting to the status quo, it’s the leader who causes positive change without trying. Their followers want to jump on a jet ski because they naturally make waves.
So how do you be a positive anomaly without starting a revolution?
- Do your homework – After thorough examination of the company or any organization, analyze your findings to determine if your authentic self is a fit for the company. Do you fit into the realm of the social norms of the company? For example, if you want to roll with flips flops and t-shirts be wise and garner support from the top before pushing a new norm.
- Re-examine your values, gifts, and talents, write them down – What makes you authentic? What are your values and beliefs? Get them on paper, post them, share them and stay true.
- Don’t be scared – In some cases being an anomaly makes a strong statement, in other cases you may not seem to be a team player. Learn to be flexible without breaking your own code. If you need to change the culture of your team…do it! Other teams may follow your lead. If you stand for nothing, you may fall for anything.
- Be aligned with your belief system – Stand tall when you feel pressure from senior leaders, peers or your team. State your case and rationale for your actions. Don’t go along to get along.
- Check your motives – If it’s all about you, the “authentic you” will bleed through. Being an anomalous leader is about change. Therefore, if your motives aren’t pure you can’t be part of the cure.
- Be patient and build rapport – When people get to know the true you, they may like you, and if they like you, they may respect you as well.
- You don’t have to stay – if you are totally out of alignment with what the organization values you have a choice. You can stay and sway or you leave and cleave to what you believe. If you are an anomalous leader, don’t follow poor leadership!
“The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.”
-Ben Okri
