Some staff are such a Pain in the ‘Proverbial’ or perhaps some people may think YOU are. A key question is what category do they fall into? Are they a destructive Rebel or a constructive Maverick. The difference is subtle but essential for a leader to know.

The scene.

Business is going along well. Profits are up and progress is steady. Ok, there are competitors out there but you are doing well. You have got though the messy phase of starting the organization and are now established. A mature business with all the busyness of keeping the machine going.

Then there is Frank and Jim, or Frances and Jane, who are difficult. They consistently let you know how things could be better and bring a new hair-brained idea to every meeting.

In meetings their remarks border on insubordination, are confrontational and can come across argumentative.  They are the pain in the proverbial.

A top mistake many leaders fall into is not identifying whether they are dealing with a Maverick or a Rebel. Many leaders confuse ‘mavericks’ for ‘rebels’. There is a distinct difference between the two that every leader should know.

First, let’s understand the benefits of the Maverick.

As an institution grows, it can get fossilized in its ways. Not realizing there is a better way to achieve results or that they are out of sync with what customer’s needs. Organizations have a nasty habit of becoming institutions and institutions have this great tendency to fade into irrelevance. It is the Mavericks that will save this from happening by challenging operations. It is the Maverick that shakes a business out of its institutional arrogance. They challenge the status quo, operations and ask provocative challenging questions.

Iconic Mavericks include people such as

• Steve Jobs breaking ground with Apple
• Richard Branson Breaking ground with Virgin
• Lee Iacocca for reviving the Chrysler
• Daniel Ek of Spotify.
• Madonna breaking ground in Pop music

Often they may get inappropriately branded as difficult, nonconformist, dissenters and Rebels, which they may be, or perhaps they are a Maverick.

We silence them by saying things like

• “When you have been here longer, then come and suggest that what we are doing is wrong”
• “We don’t do things that way around here.”
• “Are you trying to be difficult?”

What is the difference between a Rebel and a Maverick? Considering they can look surprisingly similar.

Maverick

A Maverick will be challenging and even argumentative. They will see inadequacies, failings and missed opportunities. Their conversations will unconsciously believe there is a better way to get results. They want to share their thoughts with you. They are not malcontents but really believe there are some missed opportunities.

The Key difference is

They believe in the vision and what you are trying to do. They are passionate about the business. They want to see the business succeed. Their emotional challenges are not destructive in intent.

In essence Mavericks

• Believein the vision
• Believethere is a better way to achieve results

Rebel

Like Mavericks the rebels are also challenging, see inadequacies and failings. They take great pleasure in bringing it to your attention. They don’t like how things are operating and believe things should be done differently.

The Key difference to the Maverick is

They don’t believe in the vision. Have no passion for the business and are actually being obstructive, bordering on destructive.

In essence Rebels

• Don’t believe in the vision and
• Don’t believe in the process

By Aiden Holliday