The Courage of Being an Oddball
Oddball Leaders are not for everybody, even though they’re FOR everybody.
I sometimes wonder if I was just built for Oddball Leadership. Like, naturally.
I’ve always been frigg’n weird. It’s part of my mass appeal (don’t lie to yourself — I am a ✨delight✨), and it has also attracted a few bullies and detractors. But hey, that’s show business, baby.
Marching to the beat of my own off-tempo drum for nearly 40 years has forged me into the unapologetically authentic leader I am today.
And the weirdness pays off, people.
My team shows up as their full, glorious selves.
We express our emotions without shame.
We treat one another with sweetness and grace — because that’s how Oddball Leaders roll.
But here’s the thing: sometimes the oddness is a bit much for others in your workplace — and unfortunately, from a swath of personal experiences, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.
THE STING OF UNRECIPROCATED REGARD
Experience has taught me that I am not everyone’s cup of tea — whether it’s on the playground or in the cubicle farm.
I’ve accepted this reality: the price of leading with authenticity is sometimes being the target of someone’s unearned disdain.
So what do you do when the pettiness of grown-ass adults — their insecurity sparked by your mere existence — derails progress and poisons the air?
