Do You Have a Deviance Support Group?

"Excellence is a form of deviance." This quote from Robert Quinn's book Deep Change resonated powerfully and personally with me. Within the short sentence is important wisdom for anyone who strives toward their own personal greatness. Why? Because as Quinn says, when you choose to be your best, when you choose to do things that others are unwilling to do, to go the extra mile, you will stand out in any community, team, organization or family. You will be deviant.

Speaking about personal greatness around the country, I always raise this question of stepping out of the norm. What happens to people who are different because they are pursuing their personal greatness? Many words will be offered and sadly most of them reveal the negative side of being different. The one word that consistently arises when speaking about striving for personal greatness and being different is that we become a "target." I'm told "people will come after you," "they will try to find out what's wrong with you," and "they will try to level the playing field."

One of the key factors in personal greatness is the willingness, legally and ethically, to do what others are not willing to do. This deviance might mean spending extra time in practice, working on a new skill, pushing yourself to a new level in your expertise, or just living every moment with incredible energy and passion. It is this deviance that others and systems try to quell.

Prepare for the reality that if we choose to work toward unleashing our gifts and talents, there are those who will resent us, those who will envy us, and the system itself (society, organization or family) will attempt to pull us back into the norm. This is why individuals striving for personal greatness tend to find each other and create supportive communities. History reveals the bonding of great writers, scientists, thinkers etc who supported each other in moving toward new heights in their fields. Whether our focus is being the best employee or spouse we can be, or discovering a cure for cancer, the same need is present - we need a supportive community.

Who do you have who supports your positive deviance? Who is present in your life and encourages you to continue taking steps that differentiate you from the norm? These are the people who need to be present along the way as you all strive for your personal greatness.