How to Show Up as Your Rebellious Self (And Not Get Fired For It)

A few months ago, we were talking about our book Rare Breed, a Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous and Different, to an audience of women. During the Q&A, one of them asked a great question: “What if you embrace your vices and it doesn’t go well for your career? How do you avoid that?”

           That is an issue. The typical workplace is about conformity, not eccentricity. Employers might say they value independent thinking and creative autonomy, but what most really want is for you to be productive on their terms, according to their rules. Follow the employee handbook. Do as you’re told. Don’t ask uncomfortable questions.

           Sound familiar? It also sounds smothering. The typical company’s need for blind compliance is why so many people—especially in the age of the gig economy—leave their jobs and go freelance. Heck, that’s why we went straight from college to running our own branding shop, Motto. Sure, we starved for the first few years, but at least we did it on our own terms, answerable only to ourselves.

           But maybe that’s not you. Maybe you want to build a career with a great company, or in an industry where being freelance is not a good option. At the same time, maybe you’re who we've coined a "Rare Breed," someone dangerously different who loves violating norms and confounding expectations. You ache to show up at work as your true self and live your truth, but you’re worried that 100% Rebel You might get you ostracized, even fired. So, can you be your Rare Breed self and still climb the corporate ladder? Are the two compatible?

           The answer is a qualified “yes.” Qualified because there are some companies and industries where being wildly rebellious or oddball weird just does not work. If you aspire to make partner at a corporate law firm, it might be against the rule book to show up one day sporting an orange mohawk and a Maori face tattoo. Sometimes, you and your employer will just be a bad fit no matter what you do.

           But what if there is a company out there that will embrace you for exactly who you are? Where you can be who you truly are without rocking the boat. Those companies do exist, but they are rare. Finding a company where you are celebrated for who you are rather than punished for it is where your company should point.

           If you're in a job where you're hiding pieces of yourself, maybe it's time you ease your employer into the authentic version of yourself. Can they tolerate it? Rather than turn your unique selling points up to eleven right away, give your employer a break-in period to get to know you as you really are.

           The point isn’t to shock people for the sake of shocking them, but to further your career while getting your colleagues and superiors accustomed to the best version of yourself. Remember, they’re used to bland you. How many of us walk around in jobs hiding a good chunk of ourselves from our workplaces? Feed them ghost pepper you right off the bat and they’ll end up stunned. Bump up the Scoville scale on your Rare Breed self a tick at a time and they’ll get to savor the heat.

Pick the Virtue that best defines you and try these tips:

-      Rebellious—Being a rebel is a matter of degree. Instead of striding into the office with a big, hairy idea for turning the entire company upside down, bring to the table a small, precise idea that addresses a pressing problem. Over time, keep pushing harder and harder against the company norms.

-      Audacious—Know the difference between nerve and recklessness. Your organization might be filled with dumb rules that you can't wait to break, but you can’t take them all down at once. Pick one and challenge it, but have a strong rationale and an alternative ready for when you’re confronted. If you win, challenge another rule, then another. Before you know it, you’re changing the culture.

-      Obsessed—The trouble with obsessive attention to detail or quality is that is can make everyone who’s not as obsessed as you look bad by comparison. Early on, pull long hours but train yourself to let some things go. Be a “near perfectionist.” Trust us, you’ll sleep better, and you’ll still be elevating the quality of your company’s work without making your co-workers hate you. Better still, apply some of your obsessive energy to making other people’s work better and let them take credit.

-      Hot-Blooded—Employers love intensity, but not so much that they worry about sending you to meet with a customer. If you have excess energy to work off, hit the gym before you go to the office, and be sure to control you're the tone and volume of your voice. You can say some intense, powerful things without shaking people up if you speak in a calm, relaxed tone.

-      Weird—Introduce your personal style drop by drop, not in a flood. Unusual clothes, hair, makeup, sense of humor—it’s all more acceptable to people if they can consume it on their terms rather than feeling as though you’re forcing it on them. Be yourself, but gradually, over time. At the same time, accept that there may be some aspects of the Rare Breed you that will have to wait until after hours.

-      Hypnotic—Don’t flip the charisma switch in situations where your colleagues or superiors might think you’re doing it just to benefit yourself, such as in an annual performance review or job interview. Save the charm for times when it can benefit everyone, like closing an important customer.

-      Emotional—Not all organizations are comfortable with letting emotions guide decisions. Instead of leading with your feelings, be the listener, the empath who pays attention and has the pulse of the company. That will make you a terrific problem solver.

Again, this isn’t selling out. It's about finding ways to express who you are without getting fired for it. Expose your workplace to the real you gradually and you stand a good chance of having them accept the full Rare Breed version. If they don’t, you’ll know for sure it’s time to move on to someplace that will.

Sunny Bonnell and Ashleigh Hansberger are the and the authors of Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Daring, Dangerous and Different (HarperOne, 2019), hosts of the popular YouTube series, Rare Breed, and co-founders of the award-winning branding agency Motto. Learn more about them at thisisrarebreed.com, wearemotto.com and youtube.com/rarebreedtv.

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