Maverickism

It was the call sign for the fighter pilot character played by Tom Cruise in the hit movie Top Gun which propelled him to Hollywood stardom.

And recently when I conducted a talent management training, the participants and I had a lengthy discourse about the pros and cons of having “mavericks” in the organization when I introduced the term to the more familiar mix of core contributors, high potentials, leaders and critical roles.

As Cruise’s character typically portrays – mavericks shun the dictates of the group, tend to be poor team players and generally low in the “agreeableness” quotient. Yet they also have other qualities that can save the day – as in the movie.

In a recent study due to be published later this year in the British Journal of Psychology, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of New South Wales, Australia (UNSW), suggests that for businesses to be more competitive in the global market, they need to be more resourceful and make greater use of the talents of mavericks within their organizations.

Dr Elliroma Gardiner of LSE and Professor Chris Jackson of UNSW said in a statement dated 4th April 2012 that “being a maverick is more than just having an idea or a hunch pay off, it is about taking real risks and achieving in a way that is unique and unexpected”.

Mavericks are described as independent thinkers, creative problem solvers, quick decision makers, and goal-oriented individuals. They are open to new ideas and are risk takers, usually extroverts who are highly persuasive in gaining support for their ideas.

Real life mavericks in the corporate world include Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and also Sir Richard Branson - who started his own airline Virgin Atlantic to challenge the mighty British Airways, and which has become one of the more if not most profitable airline in the world.

Gardiner and Jackson go on to say that "understandably, some aspects of the maverick personality profile, such as risk-taking and low agreeableness, might make some hiring managers quite nervous. However, our research suggests that when combined with other traits, such as extroversion, creativity and openness, the results can be quite positive.”

Do you have a maverick in YOUR organization?