I’ve been thinking for a while about what it means to be exceptional because the subtitle of my latest book The Leaders Ecosystem is A Guide to Leading, Exceptionally.

But what does that even mean? What does it mean to be exceptional?

As a start point, it means not the norm. So if we think about a normal distribution curve, which is shaped like a hill – and you’re ‘exceptional’, it means that in some way you’re an ‘exception to the norm’. Maybe that means that you’re not working with the same rules in the same way that everyone else is – you’re not leaning into all the shoulds and expectations that are placed on us by society and other people. It means that you’re doing something different, in some way you are deviating from the ‘norm’. And when you’re exceptional, it means that you’re getting better experiences and outcomes from what you’re doing. You are deviating positively from the norm.

I love this idea of positive deviance.

Leaders deviating from the norm to achieve better outcomes, better experiences and to accelerate progress and performance is what I’m deeply interested in.

Because in these extraordinary times – when things are becoming more complex at a faster and faster rate, I don’t believe that sticking to the norm is what we need to do as leaders. What got us here won’t get is to where we need to be now and in the future.

I’m intrigued by how each of us can be positively deviant in the systems that we’re living and working in. How each of us can look for opportunities to ‘break the rules’ (often self-imposed) to create a breakthrough for ourselves or the people we’re leading in some way.

So that’s my question for you today, how can you spot positive deviance around you? Something that’s happening outside of the of the norm but that’s elevating wellbeing, performance and leadership and how could you be a positive deviant in the systems that you live and work in?

To be called a ‘deviant’ isn’t something we necessarily aspire to, but when it comes to leading exceptionally maybe it’s time to be less normal.