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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and golachieving. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellovledo.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello everyone, and welcome to the Seven Minute Leadership Podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>It's episode three twenty eight, and let me take you

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<v Speaker 2>back to a familiar scene, a team meeting where everyone's

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<v Speaker 2>in agreement, everyone's nodding around the table, polite laughter, the

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<v Speaker 2>occasional that's a great idea, And then there's one person

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<v Speaker 2>sitting a little off center who breaks the rhythm with

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<v Speaker 2>have we thought about doing it this way instead? They're

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<v Speaker 2>the misfit, the oddball, the one who dresses differently, thinks differently,

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<v Speaker 2>challenges group think, and sees what the rest of the

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<v Speaker 2>room missed. And in too many organizations that person is

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<v Speaker 2>shut down, labeled difficult, or quietly ignored. Today, I'm here

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<v Speaker 2>to tell you, as a leader, you need to make

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<v Speaker 2>room for the misfits, because misfits often see what others

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<v Speaker 2>miss and if you're serious about building an elite team,

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<v Speaker 2>you better pay attention to them. So who are the misfits?

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<v Speaker 2>Misfits aren't troublemakers for the sake of being disruptive. They're

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<v Speaker 2>the ones who challenge the this is how we've always

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<v Speaker 2>done it mentality. They bring new angles, fresh energy, and

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<v Speaker 2>yes sometimes they bring friction, but friction creates movement. Steve

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<v Speaker 2>Jobs once said, here's to the crazy ones, the misfits,

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<v Speaker 2>the rebels, because the people who are crazy enough to

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<v Speaker 2>think they can change the world are the ones who do.

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<v Speaker 2>He wasn't exaggerating. Apple was an built by playing it safe.

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<v Speaker 2>It was built by thinking differently. You probably have misfits

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<v Speaker 2>on your team right now. They might be quieter, introverted

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<v Speaker 2>creatives or bold visionaries who frustrate traditional thinkers, but they

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<v Speaker 2>are there and they're watching to see if it's safe

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<v Speaker 2>to speak up. So why leaders avoid misfits and why

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<v Speaker 2>that's a mistake, because here's what happens. When misfits speak up.

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<v Speaker 2>People roll their eyes, the idea gets labeled as too risky.

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<v Speaker 2>Leadership avoids the discomfort of challenging the norm. The mistake

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<v Speaker 2>in trying to maintain comfort, you smother innovation, you suffocate creativity,

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<v Speaker 2>and worse, you send the signal that different isn't welcome here.

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<v Speaker 2>That's not leadership, that's maintenance. If all you want is

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<v Speaker 2>smooth meetings in zero waves. You're not leading your babysitting

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<v Speaker 2>the status quo. And guess what, the market, the industry,

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<v Speaker 2>your competitors, none of them care how comfortable your team feels.

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<v Speaker 2>So you have to make room for the misfits. So

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<v Speaker 2>how do you build a culture where misfits can thrive?

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<v Speaker 2>Give permission to think differently. Say it out loud. I

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<v Speaker 2>want ideas that challenge the norm. I'm okay if it

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<v Speaker 2>gets uncomfortable in here. Once you say it, mean it

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<v Speaker 2>and back it with action. And don't confuse discomfort with disrespect.

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<v Speaker 2>Not every disagreement is in subordination. Some people just see

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<v Speaker 2>a better path and have the guts to speak up.

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<v Speaker 2>Leaders who are secure in their identity can handle being

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<v Speaker 2>challenged and use them strategically. Have a tough problem, you

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<v Speaker 2>need a fresh angle. Bring in your misfit and say hey,

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<v Speaker 2>I need your brain on this. Don't hold back. That's

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<v Speaker 2>how solutions are born that no one else saw coming.

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<v Speaker 2>And number four, recognize them publicly when their idea works.

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<v Speaker 2>Say it not just to them or for them, but

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<v Speaker 2>for the rest of your team to see that thinking

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<v Speaker 2>differently is not just tolerated, it's valued and I'll give

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<v Speaker 2>you a real world example from years ago. At one point,

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<v Speaker 2>NASA had a problem with ice forming on the Space

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<v Speaker 2>Shuttle fuel tanks, and all the seasoned engineers ran through

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<v Speaker 2>every known procedure to solve it with no solution. Then

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<v Speaker 2>came a young engineer who wasn't part of the core team.

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<v Speaker 2>He had a different background, no aerospace experience. He suggested

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<v Speaker 2>a technique used in refrigeration systems instead of aerospace protocols,

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<v Speaker 2>and that idea became the fix. He was the misfit,

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<v Speaker 2>but he was the one who saw what everyone else missed.

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<v Speaker 2>Great leaders aren't looking for clones. They're looking for challengers, thinkers, creatives, contrarians,

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<v Speaker 2>the one who sees differently. So look around your organization,

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<v Speaker 2>who's sitting on the fringe, who's been written off as

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<v Speaker 2>too much or too different. That might be your next

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<v Speaker 2>game changer. Make room for the misfits, not because it's trendy,

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<v Speaker 2>but because it's smart. They just might be the ones

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<v Speaker 2>who save your next big project or take it somewhere

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<v Speaker 2>you've never imagined. This has been the seven minute Leadership Podcast,

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<v Speaker 2>and I thank you for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>For more. Paul fell of Alito Podcasts visit Paulfellowalito dot com,