Renegade Leadership: Being a Trailblazer

Do you ever get the feeling that perhaps you weren’t made for the rules of the “real world?” You have your own ideas about how things need to be done, and you know that people would just listen to you that you could set the world afire. You sometimes get accused of being rebellious or not being a team player or of being “idealistic.” If any of these sound familiar to you, then you'll be comforted to know that there's nothing wrong with you. You’re just a natural born leader, a trailblazer… and the sooner you become at peace with that, the sooner you’ll realize what a gift your seemingly “rebellious” nature can be to the world.

Why the World Needs Renegade Leaders Like You

If you are a natural born renegade leader, it might be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the world does not need someone like you. You might have even had people telling you this for your entire life. But here’s something to think about that was spoken by the revolutionary writer George Bernard Shaw:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
(quoted from “Maxims for evolutionists”)

Just think about what this is actually saying in regard to being a renegade leader: all progress up to this day has been accomplished because somebody dared to do things out of the ordinary; somebody who was probably criticized by their peers and considered to be unreasonable, unrealistic and even rebellious. Just imagine what would happen to the progress of man if people like this were to completely disappear from the face of the earth.

Who would create new opportunities, invent new strategies, build organizations, come up with creative ideas and get the ball rolling when everyone else was sitting back for fear that something was “not reasonable” or even impossible? So no matter what people's perception of you might be, always remember that most of the comforts which people enjoy in their lives were once made possible by someone who was willing to takes risks and to move out of their comfort zone.

So now that you know that you can be at peace with what kind of a leader you are…how can you start making the most of your natural gift of renegade leadership?

First, Respect those Who Don’t Think Like You

It’s typical of people who are pioneers in Trailblazers to see others as being fearful, complacent or shortsighted. But it’s also important to remember that you will need these types of people to come and support you once your ideas begin to catch on. And if you respect people who are detail oriented and who think more “in the box,” you’ll be more likely to win their favor when the fruits of your “unreasonable labors” start to show. Sure, it might be easy to look at these people and shake your head in disgust thinking that if everyone thought like them that nothing new would ever be accomplished.

But just imagine what the world would be like if everyone was an independent thinker and a renegade. It would be chaos, and nothing would get accomplished because there would be no one to support those ideas and to help turn them into practical plans of action. Every man would be out for himself, and that’s why the world is always going to need greater number of followers than it does leaders. So be sure that you respect the people who don't think like you….after all, that's the same thing you want from them right?

Start With Yourself, and Let Your Results Speak for Themselves

It’s typical of independent thinkers to also be very articulate in expressing their ideas…they’ve said to spend their entire lives defending his ideas. However, this can also lead to the mistake of thinking that logical, passionate and well articulated ideas are enough to persuade people. But in reality, no one wants to be “sold” using words only. People want to see practical actions which yield fruits in your life before they start accepting you advising them on how to live theirs. So even if you need the support of others in order to make your ideas happen, it might be a good idea to start small by working only on the things which you can control.

As people see you begin to focus on managing and leading yourself effectively, they will no doubt start to take notice… especially when you start to get results. This can be done by taking control of your financial life, your health and your personal growth…all of which are areas which will produce results that get other people’s attention. It can also be things which you begin to do in the workplace in order to make yourself more effective and to work with more passion and enthusiasm than everyone else.

The interesting thing about this is that even if you are not doing things which are out of the ordinary, people will be more likely to listen to your extraordinary ideas (when they come) if they see that you know how to get results.

And finally…

Success is the Best “Revenge”

If you’re finding it difficult to be patient with people who might even be currently opposing your ideas, always keep in mind that success is the best revenge you can get. If you continue to respect these people, while acknowledging in the privacy of your heart that you’re going to “show them what you’re made of,” the day will come when you are you respect in return. When it does, you’ll be able to turn around and tell them “I told you so.” Just don't do this out loud, because that will just cause them to resent you. Instead, let this be a reminder to yourself of how much the world needs renegade leaders, despite how much they might oppose their ideas in the beginning.

Remember, you have a tremendous responsibility as a renegade leader: all progress depends on you being unreasonable, courageous and an independent thinker. What a shame it would be if the world never got to see what you're made of because you allowed yourself to be defeated by the very people who needed you the most.

Now get out there and make it happen!