Every organisation says it wants innovation. Yet many of the people most capable of creating it eventually walk out of the door. They are the ones who question assumptions, challenge hierarchy, and move faster than the system allows. Within the organisation, they are often labelled “difficult.” Outside it, they become founders, disruptors, and industry leaders.
It is not that corporations do not need these people. It is that their structures are rarely built to keep them.
The loss is not abstract. When a maverick leaves, the company loses not just a person but a perspective. The willingness to challenge, the pattern recognition that spots hidden opportunities, the curiosity that connects dots across silos — these are competitive advantages. When the system filters them out, the culture starts to ossify.
The good news is that this is not inevitable. Organisations can design themselves to keep their unconventional thinkers. It starts with intent and continues with structure.
Redefine What High Potential Means
Most corporate talent systems reward alignment and predictability. High potential is often code for “fits well into the model.” But innovation does not come from people who always fit.
The first step is to redefine what potential looks like. Instead of measuring conformity to process, measure curiosity, resilience, and ability to learn. The most valuable leaders are not those who always agree with the strategy but those who can rewrite it intelligently when the market shifts.
Performance management should capture value creation, not just compliance. Ask managers to evaluate how often a person improves systems rather than how well they follow them. That one shift changes the conversation from obedience to contribution.
Create Space for Experimentation
Mavericks thrive on autonomy. They need room to test, to fail fast, and to rebuild. In many organisations, the cost of failure is too high, so the best people learn to stop trying.
Creating controlled environments for experimentation can reverse that pattern. Internal incubators, pilot budgets, and cross-functional task forces allow unconventional ideas to surface safely. The secret is not to create endless bureaucracy around innovation but to lower the cost of testing it.
One global company I worked with set aside a “fast path” for employee-led ideas. If the concept met clear criteria, the team received funding and time to develop it without executive interference. Many ideas failed, but the learning rate multiplied. Within three years, the company had commercialised three new business models worth hundreds of millions.
Protect Diversity of Thought
Organisations talk endlessly about diversity, but they often neglect intellectual diversity. True innovation requires people who think differently, not just those who look different.
Mavericks bring cognitive tension. They question what everyone else accepts. That can feel uncomfortable, but it is vital for progress. Leadership’s role is to protect that discomfort, not suppress it. The healthiest cultures normalise disagreement. They create psychological safety so people can challenge decisions without fear of isolation.
Leaders who tolerate dissent signal that the organisation values learning over ego. The result is not chaos but confidence — a collective belief that new ideas can be heard and tested fairly.
Build Careers Around Strengths, Not Conformity
Too many organisations try to fix mavericks rather than design roles that use their strengths. Instead of forcing everyone through the same promotion ladder, create multiple career paths — expert tracks, builder tracks, project-based rotations.
Some people are better at creating than maintaining. Others excel in ambiguity but lose energy in routine. Recognising these differences keeps talent engaged. It also builds resilience, as teams become balanced between builders and operators rather than dominated by one type.
Leadership Accountability
None of this works without leadership accountability. Culture does not change through slogans; it changes through consistent behaviour. If leaders continue to promote only those who play safe, the message is clear. If they reward those who question intelligently, the message changes immediately.
Mentoring also matters. Pairing unconventional talent with senior sponsors who understand their mindset can make the difference between retention and resignation. Mavericks do not need protection; they need translation — someone who can help the organisation understand them and vice versa.
What Happens When You Keep Them
When companies stop losing their mavericks, something shifts. Innovation becomes faster, engagement deeper, and culture more dynamic. The organisation starts to feel alive again. Employees see that difference is valued, not punished. Customers notice because creativity translates into better solutions.
The same people who once felt invisible become the ones shaping the future. And rather than watching them build successful businesses elsewhere, you find yourself building with them.
Key Takeaways
- Talent systems that reward conformity filter out the very people who drive innovation.
- Redefining potential around learning and impact encourages creative risk-taking.
- Controlled environments for experimentation keep mavericks engaged.
- Intellectual diversity must be protected, not managed out.
- Leadership accountability determines whether a culture truly values difference.
Try This
Look at your current high-potential list. How many people on it make you uncomfortable? If the answer is none, your definition of potential is too narrow.
Run an informal “maverick audit” by asking teams to nominate colleagues who regularly challenge assumptions constructively. Meet with them, listen, and identify one structural barrier that limits their creativity. Remove it.
Closing Thought
If this struck a chord, share it with a leader who manages unconventional talent. The choice is simple: design systems that make room for your mavericks or fund their future competitors.
