In her career as a researcher, Francesca Gino studies things
like that, how employees react to rules, and how
corporations thrive or fail. As it turns out, those are all
strongly linked and what Gino calls “rebel talent” may be a
powerful game-changer.
Being a rebel talent doesn’t mean “becoming an outcast”;
it’s more of a nonconformity thing. It’s being confident and
mature enough to understand which rules are immovable and
how to break the ones that aren’t. Rebel talent is knowing
then how to harness the power that comes when behaving “in
ways that are unconventional or unexpected.”
There are, Gino says, “five core elements of rebel talent.”
Novelty
is the embrace of new, the celebration of differences and
ritual, and the ability to see when change is “clearly in
our best interest.” Curiosity is what makes toddlers
ask “why?” It’s also where innovation comes from and new
ideas are launched. Perspective
is the ability to turn personal experience into real-time
relevance. Diversity is knowing that differences
aren’t divisive but are enhancements offering “a competitive
advantage.” And authenticism is staying engaged,
living honest, embracing your imperfections, and doing what
you do best.
Being someone with rebel talent can lessen stress, enhance
relationships, and further careers. It helps with employee
retention and satisfaction. And it’s fun for you, too: you
can become a Rebel Leader like the pirate,
Blackbeard, who gained “glory and riches” without harming a
single captive during his career…
Unlike most business books you’ll find that recommend
embracing that employee who marches to a different drummer,
Rebel Talent has another thing to offer: in addition
to its informative value, it’s also a blast to read.
In her book, author Francesca Gino doesn’t take a
cause-and-effect tactic. Readers don’t even get instruction
here; instead, you’ll read anecdote after example of small
businesses and national corporations that turned around,
grew, or reinvigorated after doing things in ways that
counteracted what conventional wisdom indicated. Gino
advocates allowing workers more autonomy, and listening to
what they have to say about their workplace – and she shows
how not doing so can hurt both entity and employee. There’s
plenty of research to back up what Gino says, and humor to
keep you engaged.
Reading this book is like thinking outside several
boxes, simultaneously. It’s like suddenly wanting to loosen
the buttons on your button-down suit. Rebel Talent is
fun and promises more fun, and it comes highly recommended.
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