The new year offers an amazing opportunity for personal renewal and growth, and as we move into 2019 you can start the year off the rebel way by embracing The Rebel Mindset to drive substantive change within your organization, team, industry or community.

As we highlighted in our previous blog, How To Launch Your Career As A Full-Time Rebel, you don't have to be the owner of the company to launch a corporate rebellion. You don't even have to be a C-level executive (or director, manager, supervisor, etc., you see where we're going with this). Most people are surprised to realize that even without holding a perceived position of authority – you still have the power to shake up all manner of office protocol and status quo.

Growing Where You're Planted: Innovating In Any Corporate Culture

Don't believe it? You're not alone. While most business leaders recognize (or, at least say that they recognize) the need for creatives and innovators within their corporate hierarchy, many employees don't feel like they work in a culture that actually promotes creativity and innovation. A 2016 report in the Harvard Business Review showed that 49% of U.S. employees, in a wide range of industries, agreed with the statement “I regularly feel pressure to conform in this organization.” As a result, companies across every vertical miss out on invaluable business growth opportunities simply because employees feel stifled and unable to bring their unique gifts, aptitudes, and contributions to work with them.

Yes, it's difficult to find the balance between when it's time to follow the herd and when it's time for the sheep to burn the barn down – but the mark of a true rebel is the love of an uphill challenge. Success starts with a mental recalibration of sorts. Understanding how to cultivate the rebel mindset will set the tone for future acts of purpose-driven rebellion at your place of business.

Rebels tend to be:

Restless

Make no mistake; rebels absolutely know how to celebrate current successes and existing situations. However, they are forward thinkers who constantly look for and strive to achieve what's new and what's next.

Decisive

Rebels can quickly assess a situation based on available information, form an opinion, make a decision, and create a definitive course of action…and then they act. They are analytical, but they are more than thinkers – they are doers.

Fearless

No rebellion was every forged and won without some measure of risk. Full-time rebels are able to determine the calculated risk factor and are more willing to take chances than others.

Curious

Rebels are innately inquisitive, coming at virtually everyone and everything with two paramount questions: Why? And Why not?  

Adaptive

Rebels are able to find a way where there is no (perceivable) way. Rigid rebels often fall into the "Without a Cause" category. However, successful full-time rebels are agile and flexible, changing course as needed to reach the finish line.

Thick Skinned

Ultimately, cultivating the rebel mindset means not caring what people think; a true innovator can tune out the naysayers because they believe in the course they've chartered for themselves, and they are ready to launch.

Want to hear more about igniting strategic rebellion at the office? Check out REBEL & REASON's online course Full Time Rebel.

Download our our infographic on the Anatonmy of a Rebel here.