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Mavericks can be crucial to organizational success. But it can be difficult to be an effective maverick because going against the grain has consequences.

Scott Cowen, president emeritus of Tulane University, believes in the power of mavericks and argues organizations need to harness their out-of-the-box thinking, “However, a maverick’s effectiveness doesn’t just hinge upon an organization’s ability to create an environment in which the maverick can flourish. Mavericks need to do their part to demonstrate that they are operating in the interest of the organization and that their ideas have merit,” he wrote in the business journal Knowledge at Wharton.

First, you must make sure you are not motivated by ego and self interest. Your main concern must be the organization’s success and well-being. Your ideas should not arise from whim. “A constructive maverick feels a sense of purpose and has developed strong beliefs that are grounded in experience that he or she can express and defend logically and comprehensibly,” he notes.

No matter how noble your ideas, you will run into opposition. Mavericks tend to be perceived as disruptive or irritating. Mr. Cowen stresses you must not prove that feeling right by responding to criticism in an irritating way. You must stay civil and respectful, without compromising the substance of your message.

Indeed, he recommends that if you tend to be a maverick you must develop a mindset that accepts your ideas will not be readily embraced. That’s life; accept it. Don’t demonize those who oppose your recommended changes. “In an ideal scenario, the maverick manages to balance passion with patience and conviction with calmness,” he says.

If frustration develops and conflict spins out of control, he warns that effective mavericks know better than to air their dirty laundry externally. You must respect internal codes of conduct and see the bigger picture, making sure you don’t hurt the organization.

“What’s most important for mavericks to understand is that the ends don’t justify the means and that being right doesn’t automatically produce success. Whether it’s in a team meeting or the board room, organizational mavericks won’t get very far if they fail to build human relationships and articulate their divergent views in ways that invite others to listen,” he says.

Jana Raver encouraged her audience in a talk at the Smith School of Business, where she is a professor, to become better deviants. She stressed that deviance can be harmful, from harassment and isolating others to sabotage. But constructive deviance – aiming for a higher standard for the organization – is vital in a time when so many of your colleagues are disengaged. It can offer creativity and innovation to the organization. Blowing the whistle can set the organization in the right direction.

She urges you to find your cause – the moral principles you feel strongly about and are willing to take the heat to fight for. Then pick your battles. “If you are that constant nagging voice, people stop listening,” she says.

Learn how to build your case. Study the principles of persuasion and learn to build consensus. Remember reciprocity: You need to help people in exchange for them helping you. Keep in mind that people are more persuadable if you are likeable.

She stressed this isn’t about sitting back, pointing your finger and expecting someone else to do the heavy lifting. Your manager will be more interested if you are willing to take ownership of an idea and drive it.

Finally, she stresses you must be persistent. “It isn’t going to happen overnight,” she says, but adds that the benefit is you can be the change you want to see.

Quick hits

  • Clear your mind before you clear your inbox. Productivity expert Laura Vanderkam pauses before looking at her e-mail to look out her window for 30 seconds and appreciate the world outside the inbox.
  • When speaking to leaders who are likely to resist your argument, rather than starting directly by summarizing your central message, presentations coach Gary Genard suggests opening by building common ground and then constructing your argument brick-by-brick.
  • Silence will often follow when you finish a presentation and ask, “Do you have any questions?” Communication coach John Millen says for some reason the phrase feels uninviting and you are better to use, “What questions do you have for me?”
  • Arguing for inaction is surprisingly easy, notes entrepreneur Seth Godin. You need to get past your fears of change, which are often that it might work, which is scary, or that it might not work, which can be heartbreaking.

Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.

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