Rebels, Renegades, and the Lost Art of Thinking Differently

I’m a renegade. And I know it. I don’t follow the crowd, I don’t do groupthink, and I certainly don’t sit in meetings nodding along just to keep the peace. No, I prefer to stir the pot, to challenge, to poke holes in perfectly good ideas just to see if they leak. And trust me, this has landed me in more trouble than I care to count.

In corporate Malawi, people like me are seen as a problem. We don’t fit neatly into the system, and instead of trying to understand us, the establishment prefers to exile us to the fringes. The same happens in government. Everyone seems to be sipping from the same ideological well, recycling the same old ideas and wondering why nothing ever changes. No revolutionary thinking, no groundbreaking innovations—just the same tired approaches that have kept us running in circles for decades.

Maybe it’s a leftover from our history of oppression, a cultural hangover from a time when questioning authority could get you into serious trouble. But in both business and governance, there’s no room for lone geniuses. Big problems require diverse minds tackling them from all angles. When we shut out divergent voices, we’re essentially saying we’d rather be comfortable than be effective.

We’ve all been in that meeting where someone—usually the oddball in the room—pipes up with a completely out-of-the-box idea that derails the entire discussion. At first, everyone sighs, rolls their eyes, maybe even mutters something about sticking to the agenda. But then, as the idea unfolds, it forces people to think differently. That person is what I call a “Divergent Voice.” They’re not just playing devil’s advocate for the fun of it. They genuinely see the world differently. And if you listen—really listen—you might just discover a solution no one else saw coming.

Of course, this isn’t always easy. Divergent voices can be disruptive. They can make people defensive. And, let’s be honest, they can be a little exhausting. But here’s the kicker—it’s not just the group’s job to tolerate them. It’s a shared responsibility. The divergent thinker has to learn how to make their case without alienating everyone, and the rest of the team has to resist the urge to shut them down just because they’re making things uncomfortable.

Alfred P. Sloan, former CEO of General Motors, once said, “If we are all in agreement on the decision, then I propose we postpone further discussion until our next meeting to give ourselves time to develop disagreement and perhaps gain some understanding of what the decision is all about.” Now, that’s a guy who understood the value of friction in decision-making.

Divergent thinking isn’t about being a contrarian for the sake of it. It’s about generating multiple ideas, exploring different angles, and pushing boundaries. Unlike convergent thinking—which hunts for the single “right” answer—divergent thinking embraces the messy, unpredictable process of discovery. And guess what? That’s where the magic happens.

In business, this kind of thinking can be a game-changer. When you look at a problem from multiple angles, you don’t just find one solution—you find several. You also build empathy. Understanding different perspectives helps you create products, services, and policies that actually work for more people. And, let’s face it, it makes work a lot more interesting.

It also makes employees feel heard. When people aren’t afraid to speak up, they’re more engaged, more creative, and more invested in the success of the company. And if you want to stand out in a crowded market, encouraging fresh ideas is your best bet. The companies that do this well aren’t just innovating; they’re leading.

The thing is, divergent thinking shouldn’t just be reserved for brainstorming sessions. It should be woven into the DNA of an organization. Every department, from product development to HR, can benefit from it. If your marketing team is rethinking an ad campaign, don’t just ask what worked before—ask what could be done differently. If your operations team is trying to streamline processes, don’t just trim the fat—ask if the whole process could be reimagined. And if your leadership team is making big strategic decisions, don’t just play it safe—ask what a complete overhaul might look like.

If you want a workplace (or a government) that actually welcomes new ideas instead of just pretending to, start by giving people the tools and the space to think freely. Train your team to recognize and nurture divergent thinking. Let meetings be messy sometimes. Let people challenge the status quo without fear of exile. And most importantly, stop treating unconventional thinkers like they’re the problem. They might just be your biggest asset.

So, the next time someone in your team—maybe even that slightly annoying colleague who always has a “better way” of doing things—offers up a wild, unexpected, out-of-left-field idea, don’t roll your eyes. Lean in. Ask them to explain. Who knows? That might just be the idea that changes everything.

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