Social Media and the Power of Crazy

People underestimate the power of crazy. or maybe they're just scared of it, I don't know. But crazy drives innovation and progress. Traditional, safe, status-quo, and "reasonable" hardly ever does.

Think about the list of crazy innovators who made a considerable impact on the world of business including Einstein, Steve Jobs, Jean-Claude Biver, Tony Hsieh, Andy wharhol, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeff Bezos, Sam Walton, Larry Page, Howard Stern, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Richard Branson, Ray Kroc.

And on and on and on. All certifiable nut cases. All amazingly bright and successful in business. Coincidence or pattern? Can people with normally-wired brains build empires founded on innovation?

History seems to prove otherwise. I've often wondered why. Business isn't supposed to be driven by anything less than cold, rational, calculating cogitation. And yet, nut cases seem to have a considerable advantage.

They all tend to attract luck. They're fanatical workers. Mesmerizing evangelists. Brutally brilliant. Often megalomaniacs with little to no people sensitivity and zero social skills. They're immensely competitive and intolerant - despising error and mediocrity. They don't process contradiction or rejection. You tell one of these people that their idea won't stick, and they'll look at you like you're a mental patient. Then promptly pitch it to someone else.

Yes I know there's a fine line between passion and madness. These folks often teeter between the two. But it's not just these famous names listed above. Those are just some of the famous ones. At the extreme end of the cuckoo "curve".

How about where you work? Almost everyone has that "kinda crazy" guy or gal at the office. You know, the eccentric one with the weird ideas every day. The "weird" one. With the bizarre eye-rolling concepts everyone calls "so totally inappropriate for us". The stuff that's "never been done before" or will "never be approved, no way, not ever". Because it's just too insane. You know, it's waaaay out there. So out there, matter of fact, that it probably deserves serious consideration, doesn't it?

That's precisely the kind of nutcase I want on my team. Because innovation never begins with sanity. And one of those nutty ideas is likely your next jackpot. One thing's for sure: none of your "same old" traditional ones will ever be.

And in this day and age of social media and marketing democratization, the possibilities afforded one single crazy individual to "change the world" (and your organization in the process) are virtually limitless. So if you've got the tools, and you've got the nut cases, you have the recipe for innovation. Talk about a strategic advantage. Be a shame to waste it wouldn't you think?

In a recent post, Seth Godin predicts the end of the "average worker". I say good riddance. Bring on the crazies! It's time to kick some butt :)