Have you ever been called weird? How about odd? What about different, eccentric, marching to the beat of a different drummer, dreamer, or hopeless romantic? If so, I’d like to congratulate you, because one of the things which creative leaders have in common is that most people think they’re weird! As John Putzier states in his book Get Weird!, “A weirdo is anybody who is not like you.” That’s right: when people call you weird, it’s because you’re not like them. And believe me, you don’t want to be! Putzier also cites Arno Penzias, who won the Nobel Prize in physics, as saying,
If you are a truly creative person, you know that feeling insecure and lonely are par for the course. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be creative, and conform, too. You have to recognize that what makes you different also makes you creative.
Leaders will often complain that they are lonely and the followers of leaders will often say that the one they are following has insecurities. In both cases, it’s often true. “It’s lonely at the top” is a common saying, and it’s not all that uncommon for insecurity within a leader to be a motivating force for them to become the best at what they do, as well as become a great leader. However, more important is the truth that great leaders are highly likely to be just a little different…just a bit weird.
I must admit that since my childhood, I’ve been called every form of weird you can think of. Much of the time it’s meant, believe it or not, affectionately, and as a compliment of sorts. I’m glad that I have a healthy level of self awareness and I can laugh along with those I lead about the strange things I think up and the general level of my weirdness! All of my life I’ve felt that I could see visions which others didn’t see and truly hear the beat of my own drums. Somehow, as a kid, I embraced the fact that I was different, and it has served me well as I have become a leader. I actually think, and I may be in total self denial here, that my weirdness and creative approach to things is what causes people to want to follow me. If nothing else, I’m entertaining! Regardless of why, I’m glad they do follow me.
If you want to be a creative and dynamic leader, you’re going to have to be just a little weird. I encourage you to make peace with your weirdness and decide that it is okay that you don’t see everything like everyone else, and that the status quo is not an acceptable strategy for leading people. Stay creative. Think differently. Be weird.
Lead well.