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In recent times I have really got into listening to podcasts while running which has resulted in my mind filling with interesting reflections and questions. I was listening to the Tim Ferris Show the other day on a 3 hour run through the beautiful Otway National Park and his guest was talking about how working inside a large organisation just didn’t suite them. This seems to be a similar story for a lot of entrepreneurs but it struck me that sometimes people who have entrepreneurial traits do stick inside large organisations.
I can think of many people I’ve met along my own corporate journey where I walked away thinking how how different they were to the average. Some of these people were truly high performers who certainly talked a good game but also walked the walk while naturally some just talked the talk. More recently I have been rolling around the idea that many high performers are really just a little better than average and given we tend to ignore average this means people can get ahead in a corporate career by being just a little better than average but that probably wouldn’t necessarily mean that in a different environment they would even be average.
Every now and then you meet those inside the corporate world who have a true entrepreneurial spirit and who are definitely not just average. I think these people can be called the corporate Mavericks.
Now there is nothing wrong with being your run of the mill high performer, you are going to do very well for yourself; as long as you keep your balance. Being the Maverick is certainly more fun but it does come with its own risks.
So what makes a corporate maverick different to a high performer? Here are a few of the ways I think you can tell the difference…
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High Performer
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Maverick
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Predictable – in a good way i.e. reliable and will deliver to expectations and a bit beyond
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Unpredictable – in a good way i.e. reliable but may just deliver on expectations or completely blow a deliverable away
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In it for the long game – will patiently build a career
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Less patient – will burn bright but may burn out more quickly
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Plays the politics exceptionally well
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Hates the politics as they just get in the way of progress
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Wary of failure
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Fails in epic ways and is comfortable with that
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Is looking on the inside to build their career
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Already has one foot out the door to the next challenge
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I think organisations need both of these types of people in their teams as they both bring different skills. Both these animals need to be handled differently but they come from the same species so can and do live and work well together. The rule book for working with the maverick is not as well defined as the one for the high performer; I’ve never seen a 9 box assessment with a box for the maverick so if they just get put in the same bucket as your average high performer they probably aren’t going to get the development they need and if that happen you can bet your bottom dollar they are then looking outside.
Have you seen a corporate maverick in the wild?
ISLO Higher 