The Hindu Business Line : Three cheers for the rebel

MOST Indian organisations have hordes of "yes men", who faithfully say yes to whatever the men in authority do or even think of doing. And many organisations simply wink at this practice. But little do such firms realise that they stand to lose out on original ideas from the out-of-the-box thinkers or the `rebels', if you will.

Who are these rebels anyway and how can organisations make effective use of their talent for the good of the company? The rebel is not the kind to wordlessly agree with everything thing the boss says and does, but weighs every issue on merit. If he sees something wrong, he will not hesitate to blow the whistle. Fearless and forthright in his views, the rebel does not think twice about going beyond his boss if he fails to get support for his suggestions/actions. The typical behavioural traits of a rebel are: out-of-the-box thinking capabilities that are far superior to most others in the organisation, the ability to come out with breakthrough ideas and suggestions, and articulation.

Rebels are essentially loners and do not easily fit into any team A rebel is normally brilliant in his area of specialisation, and can easily pick up new skills at will. He welcomes job rotation, and utilises every opportunity to add value to whatever task is assigned to him.

However, they can be a bit eccentric when it comes to presenting their views or sharing their ideas.

Any organisation that aims to draw out the rebel and leverage his talent must recognise his unique abilities to think independently and give him assignments that are innovative rather than those that involve continuous improvement.

Making the rebel part of many cross-functional teams is one way of creatively fitting such individuals with the overall organisational goals. A rebel can be more easily groomed for general management positions, for he has the ability to look far beyond immediate tasks. No organisation can ignore the rebel. So, let's give them three cheers and a hearty welcome!

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