Page 149 - HBR's 10 Must Reads 20180 - The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review

GINO

Organizations, like individuals, can easily become complacent,
especially when business is going well. Complacency often sets in
because of too much conformity—stemming from peer pressure, ac-
ceptance of the status quo, and the interpretation of information in
self-serving ways. The result is a workforce of people who feel they
can’t be themselves on the job, are bored, and don’t consider others’
points of view.
Constructive nonconformity can help companies avoid these
problems. If leaders were to put just half the time they spend ensur-
ing conformity into designing and installing mechanisms to encour-
age constructive deviance, employee engagement, productivity, and
innovation would soar.

Further Reading

IN THE COURSE OF DEVELOPING this Big Idea on Rebel Talent, HBR asked
Francesca Gino to provide a portfolio of content that could further inspire,
advise, and help develop your understanding of the topic. Gino’s curated
list of materials on rebel talent runs the gamut from classic HBR articles to
novels and more.

HBR Articles
While studying leaders and organizations that attract, develop, and manage
talent so as to spark engagement and creativity, I found many insights in the
pages of HBR.
• “How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity,” Ed Catmull, September 2008
• “Are You a High Potential?,” Douglas A. Ready, Jay A. Conger, and Linda
A. Hill, June 2010

• “How to Hang On to Your High Potentials,” Claudio Fernández-Aráoz,
Boris Groysberg, and Nitin Nohria, October 2011
• “How GE Teaches Teams to Lead Change,” Steven Prokesch, January 2009
• “Managing Without Managers,” Ricardo Semler, September–October 1989
• “Why My Former Employees Still Work for Me,” Ricardo Semler, January–
February 1994

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