The Power of Originals
Original, adjective. The origin or source of something; from which something springs, proceeds, or is derived.
Original, noun. A thing of singular or unique character; a person who is different from other people in an appealing or interesting way; a person of fresh initiative or inventive capacity.
Black sheep, idiom used to describe people with a history of nonconformity.
The French term “Singulier” can be translated to original or unusually gifted people. And we have all heard of that elusive quality known as originality, which is a synonym of brilliant, bold, bright, gifted and unconventional.
Referring to someone as original can also bring up connotations of eccentricity or weirdness. Extremely complex and full of life, true originals can also be misunderstood. Depending on the company, if they don’t have the best reputation, they might sometimes be seen as non-conformist, a black sheep, troublemaker, rabble-rouser, disrupter, heretic or radical. They get shunned easily and often.
However, these original and gifted employees are the nuggets of a company when it comes to transformation, innovation and reinvention. They have the ability to make a significant contribution to the company. They are more likely to take the initiative, confront obstacles, and find new solutions by challenging the status quo and pushing innovation.
Who Are Gifted People?
In her 1999 book, “The Gifted Adult,” psychologist Mary-Elaine Jacobsen identified three traits of gifted people:
- Intensity: Gifted people are extraordinarily focused, empathic and enterprising.
- Complexity: They can quickly digest and analyze huge amounts of information.
- Drive: They are highly inquisitive, motivated and committed.
And, in his “Theory of Positive Disintegration,” psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski claimed that gifted people display certain characteristics or behaviors. For example, he said that they tend to be intensely perceptive, use visualization techniques to achieve their goals and can be nonconformist and independently minded. They can quickly go off in unexpected new directions when inspiration strikes.
Want to chat about how to work with gifted people? Let’s talk.