The Innovation Impasse. Imagine the scene. You’re a born innovator. Your mind is full of fresh thinking, full of fantastic ideas and enthusiasm. You’re ready to lead your team on to success and your way of doing things is really getting results. As a matter of fact, you’re a Socialised Maverick [1], although you may not know it.
It sounds great, doesn’t it? Your team are backing you fully and it feels like you’re “all systems go”. There is, however, a problem.
It’s your boss. They’re a real traditionalist, staunchly defending the status quo. In fact, they actually seem frightened of change. As a result, they pour cold water on all your plans. They don’t encourage your innovation, and they constantly warn about the downsides of all your ideas. It’s an impasse.
It’s depressing, isn’t it?
Sadly, this scenario plays out all too often in organisations. You can find Maverick managers, fizzing with ideas and potential, driven by a desire to push boundaries and achieve. The trouble is, you will also often find these managers locked in a frustrating merry-go-round with their line management, their ideas and suggestions constantly being pushed around again and again.
The Difficulties Maverick Managers can face
- Innovation Stifled: a traditionalist boss will probably have an aversion to change. This can feel like a constant roadblock to a Maverick’s constant flow of creative ideas. They may dismiss proposals without any real consideration, citing past failures or referring to outdated or irrelevant metrics that suit their argument. Essentially, they adopt a defensive approach, which can be incredibly demoralising, for managers working for them. Imagine how undervalued that Maverick would feel.
- Limited Autonomy: when a boss clings to the status quo, this can mean that they find comfort in traditional hierarchies, control and micromanagement. This would stifle any manager, but for a Maverick, this would feel like their autonomy was completely undermined. It would inhibit decision-making and any appetite for experimentation. Worst of all, this would damage their leadership of their team, because to feel authentic and effective, a Maverick manager would need to feel they were trusted.
- Feeling Undervalued: the lack of trust from a micromanaging boss will make any manager feel undervalued. However, the constant pushback and lack of support from a stolid boss would make a Maverick manager feel completely unappreciated and even misunderstood. It would take momentous professionalism for this not to dampen their enthusiasm for their management role. In turn, it would be very difficult for that Maverick to hide this from their team and that, of course, would have a knock-on impact on their team.
How to tackle this impasse?
It’s important not to be negative about this. One of the hallmarks of Mavericks is determination and commitment. So, they’re not going to give in to a bit of obstructive behaviour.
The trick for a Maverick is to pull on their innate ability to innovate a solution that works for all parties. They’re natural bridge-builders, so it is likely that they will come up with a strategy to save the situation. Here’s a few options they might choose.
Convincing a traditionalist will be tough, but starting with facts will be helpful. Taking time to explain not only the data but also the reasons behind what makes the data the right data. That could involve setting out the anticipated benefits of the idea. Maybe that’s solving a specific problem or creating an opportunity to deliver against the organisation’s goals.
Related to this, in addition to using data for someone who clings to data for their justification, the Maverick manager could use their boss’ data sources to illustrate the innovative points too. It would make it very hard for even the most Luddite boss to resist an argument that uses the data that they themselves use, after all.
Another example of Maverick bridge-building would be for the manager to concentrate on building trust with their boss. While this might seem a little ironic, it might actually be a fiendishly-effective strategy! Through open communication which clearly hears the boss’ point of view and reasoning, the Maverick can learn where there is common ground. Finding that will really help to persuade the boss that accepting small changes might not be too problematic.
And there’s always the Maverick fall-back – their wilful independence. If the relationship with the traditionalist boss sours beyond repair, a Maverick will be able to dust themselves off, put the disappointment behind them and find a better role elsewhere. Knowing when to walk away is key in challenging relationships. In a situation where there’s no chance of change, a Maverick will be able to focus on new opportunities.
Who’s right here?
Ultimately, there is no hard-and-fast right or wrong here. It depends on how the Maverick manager approached “selling” their ideas, just like it depends on how obstructive their boss is. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that this kind of relationship risks losing innovative talent from an organisation. And that can be expensive, in money, time and morale. And it would necessitate change with even less control over the situation, which is far more stressful than the changes the Maverick was suggesting in the first place.
If this resonates, either for you as a frustrated Maverick or you as a boss with a Maverick in your team that you fear will change everything, then perhaps take a look at some of the ways to bridge-build. It’s much better than emergency repairs.
Footnote
[1] Socialised Maverick – The Maverick Paradox: The Secret Power Behind Successful Leaders. Judith Germain PublishNation 2017
Editor’s Footnote
Astrid is one of a select few, who have been chosen to become a Featured Columnist for The Maverick Paradox Magazine. You can read all her articles by clicking below.
