Compromise Kills Remarkable—Send Your Maverick to the Edges and Trust the Weird

Sociological research and real-world business cases point toward a tough insight: when you sand off the edges of an idea to make it palatable to everyone, you make it invisible to everyone. The classic ‘camel is a horse designed by committee’ saying isn’t just an old joke—it’s borne out in studies on creativity and innovation diffusion. The blandest, most broadly appealing ideas rarely inspire loyalty, referrals, or passion. What’s adopted early, spreads, and generates returns is often weird, polarizing, and intensely pursued by a small (but vocal) group.

In organizational psychology, the ‘maverick’ effect shows that individuals given license to pursue what excites them—even if it means some will hate it—are the source of disproportionate breakthroughs. Firms that insist on consensus and smoothing compromise see their ideas collapse into mediocrity, especially in competitive markets. It’s the decision to trust a trusted outlier and let them work at the edges that makes remarkable outcomes possible.

Spot the one thing about your project or idea that’s extreme, unorthodox, or likely to split opinions. Assign someone with genuine conviction—not just the team lead—to nurture that quality and shield them from all forms of group-think and compromise. Once ready, introduce this boldest, unfiltered work to the kind of people who love that specific edge, not everyone. Compare real-world response: if you see the right kind of excitement, keep pushing further. Try this now—in your team, class, or creative work—by empowering your maverick to lead, not just contribute.