Embrace the Eccentric

Are You A Business Psychopath? Pt. 3: Celebrating the Outlandish 

I’ve always been a little eccentric. Making big, bold decisions is what I do. Honestly, I’m proud of it – and I encourage you to embrace this side of you in all aspects of your life, in business or otherwise!

That’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve dedicated a whole article to how psychopathy, when understood and measured out, can actually be a wonderful thing in business. Then I spoke about taming your inner Mr. Hyde: the persona that sets an example, and builds a fantastic culture from sticking to your guns. 

These characteristics have been a mainstay of the people I’ve chosen to surround myself with over the years. From clients, peers and staff to my dearest friends; most of the people I love are a bit touched. They are self-centred, engaging, funny, egotistical, brave, and love an argument!

And I love it. By extension, a lot of them are geniuses at their job. ‘Touched’ is a by word for a bit bloody good, in my view. It’s all about perspective. 

Don’t believe me? Well, I’ve drummed up some points about what makes the people I spend time with so special.

Eccentrics can inspire us 

People can be weird, pure and simple. Some of the most famous figures from history – the ones we’re still talking about – had loads of nutty habits. 

Salvador Dalí walked his anteater around Paris. Benjamin Franklin would stand naked at his window each morning. Friedrich Schiller couldn’t write without the stench of rotten apples. These made no sense to anyone else, but it doesn’t matter: they led to amazing discoveries and ideas. 

Remember Mr. Hyde? Our crazy alter-ego? He only listens to his gut. Convention doesn’t matter to him. The people I’ve admired in the last two decades have lived and breathed this outlook. They push me to do more. I’d like to think I do the same for them. 

We’re fun and interesting to be around 

Thinking differently can make us the entertainer, the raconteur, when a mood is at its lowest. Creative people are more enjoyable to engage with. They’re occupied with a thousand thoughts at once, so the question of what they’ll do next is always left there, hanging. 

Embrace your Mr. Hyde, and charisma is assured. People with similar attitudes are drawn to each other, so my circle of oddballs, whirling dervishesand strange characters has grown quite a bit. And you know what? They slot right in. We’re able to captivate one another, which rubs off on our business relationships elsewhere. No one is starved of attention (a real danger, frankly) because we are giving and taking it together on the same wavelength.

Plus, ‘crazy’ people are aware that they’re not the usual kettle of fish. They can joke about it. Nothing gets too dark or serious, which keeps our conversations flowing in hard times and good. 

We appreciate smarts and commitment 

If you take a single piece of advice away with you, it’s this: ‘Don’t care about what the crowd is saying!’ 

The individuals I look up to can take opinions on board, but they aren’t ruled by them. Ideas shouldbe scary, weird or abrasive when necessary. They’re proud of that fact. Recruitment has taught me that, in many cases, people too often suck up to the same old routine in order to get a reward for complacency. But staying complacent means you never think bigger. 

In the past, it was harder to find great staff who were on our level. Top-grade talent only walked through the door once in a blue moon. These days, we can look anywhere for that next, incredible hire. And we can be authentic whilst doing it. Simultaneously, my friends or peers like to encounter smart thinkers, mirroring their own free-wheeling approach to life. Anything less doesn’t engage them. 

What do you do when someone says, “Christ, mate, you can’t do that?”Tell them to stuff it. Your habits may be a mystery to anyone but you, but that shouldn’t be a burden. My social and professional circles are full of those who revel in their psychopaths at just the right moment. 

As I’ve explained over the last couple of weeks, greatness is only a mental leap away. If you take anything from my trilogy of tough-talking articles, it should be, simply, to be the maverick you are in your head! Take pride in anomalous thinking, and you’ll be so much better off in an environment that doesn’t value second place…

I’m happily eccentric, but also keen to share my business advice with you. Contact me at [email protected]