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How to harness your Top Gun talent for greater workplace benefits

A fighter jet flying through the air with a sunset sky in the background

Video credit: Adobe Stock / Riko Best

Video credit: Adobe Stock / Lenur

Thirty-six years after Top Gun first captured our imagination, fans have flocked to see Tom Cruise reprise his role as hot-shot pilot Pete Mitchell – aka Maverick – in the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.

The likable rogue test pilot returns to the aviation academy on a challenging new mission. Pushing 60, he still disobeys superiors, flouts rules of engagement and takes reckless risks.

His behaviour backfires, and his loyalty and commitment are questioned. But, like most blockbusters, he ultimately prevails, completes the mission and gets the girl.

But what about real life? Is there a place for mavericks, and how do they fare in organisations? What are the pros and cons – for themselves and their colleagues?

Six wooden figures with cartoon neck ties accompanied by one red figure with a cartoon rocket ship drawn around it

Image credit: Adobe Stock / Worawut

Image credit: Adobe Stock / Worawut

Who are the workplace mavericks?

Mavericks are independently minded individuals who think differently and get results, despite not following the rules. They tend to question everything, challenging how and why things are done and disrupting existing processes.

In the latest Top Gun movie, Maverick shines as a uniquely talented individual who, despite his habit of shaking things up, manages to contribute significantly.

While it makes for great entertainment, we wanted to see how this behaviour translates into reality and if the disruptive influence of mavericks in the modern workplace is worth it.

With few studies focused on mavericks, there is limited understanding of who they are and why they behave the way they do in workplaces.

Our research team, consisting of Associate Professor Terry Fitzsimmons, Professor Victor Callan and myself from The University of Queensland (UQ) Business School, identified the behaviours and benefits of having mavericks in organisations, particularly in turbulent times such as a pandemic.

We interviewed 28 workers in Australian research and scientific organisations who colleagues described as maverick employees. These mavericks were considered highly influential in their workplaces, despite not following rules or being team players, and focused upon challenging current workplace practices.

We also interviewed 27 colleagues who described these mavericks as goal-oriented, passionate people who break the rules and shake things up, not to be difficult, but in a genuine attempt to make a difference and contribute to a better world.

We concluded mavericks are big-picture people who don't let 'no' get in the way of a great idea.

Our research identified 4 key behaviours of mavericks:

1. Mavericks aren’t constrained by the rules

In Top Gun, when Maverick tells Rooster, “Forget the book, trust your instincts”, he believes that rules are merely guidelines that can be ignored.

Our workplace mavericks explained how they justify defying a rule’s general intention under the guise of “it’s better to ask for forgiveness than seek permission”, particularly when the rules get in the way of a good idea for achieving organisational goals.

But they also acknowledge sometimes that their rule-breaking can have negative consequences.

2. Mavericks know their limitations

When Mitchell comments, “I don’t sail boats, Penny; I land on them”, he acknowledges his expertise is limited to piloting planes and doesn’t extend beyond that.

This point aligns with our research, where we found mavericks draw on the expertise of others rather than having all the answers and skills themselves.

3. Mavericks push the envelope

Mavericks see the world differently, thinking outside the box to achieve things considered to be impossible. This perspective is the premise of the Top Gun movies.

Similarly, our workplace mavericks said they’re highly motivated when told something is “impossible or can’t be done”. Rather than give up or move on, they say, “challenge accepted”.

4. Mavericks don’t follow a traditional career path

The mavericks interviewed in our study emphasised they weren’t in it for the money or the position, they just wanted to do what they loved. They conceded that if this changed, they would quit and find a job they loved elsewhere.

Are you a maverick for climate change? Discover UQ’s latest research showing only 1 in 20 businesses will achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Read research.

Image credit: Adobe Stock / razihusin

The silhouette of a fighter jet pilot walking to a fighter jet with the sun setting in the background

The challenge with mavericks in the office

Workplace mavericks don't deliberately go out of their way to annoy leaders and coworkers. However, they bristle at following rules they don’t understand or that stand in their way of making a positive difference for the organisation.

By challenging workplace rules and procedures, however, mavericks can be viewed as troublemakers, causing tension and disruption in their wake. This behaviour often sets them apart from their colleagues and leaders and threatens their job security unless handled well.

Workplaces benefit from engaging mavericks

Rule-breaking individuals often justify their non-conforming behaviour because they’re committed to a higher-level organisational or socially desirable goal.

So, mavericks push back against the system because they perceive rules and regulations are getting in the way of achieving those big-picture goals with outcomes that benefit more than one individual, such as organisational impact, workplace equality, sustainability or other important changes.

How (and why) leaders can support mavericks in the workplace

Video credit: Adobe Stock / BY Movie

Video credit: Adobe Stock / BY Movie

Here are 4 ways leaders can support mavericks in the workplace to allow them to make an impact in their field and elicit the best outcomes for the organisation.

  1. Lead don’t manage
    To get the best out of a maverick worker, leaders should stop trying to manage them. Instead, they should negotiate effective ways of working together, how trust will be earned and what specific outcomes need to be achieved to support their autonomy.
  2. Work with their strengths
    Work with maverick talent to identify where their strengths and interests lie and negotiate assignments around those strengths. Having input into tasks gives mavericks a sense of being valued and respected.
  3. Give them latitude
    Leaders must negotiate boundaries of how far mavericks can go without crossing the line. This line needs to be more accommodating than for other workers due to a maverick’s potential to deliver extraordinary outcomes.
  4. Create a space for experimentation and failure
    Mavericks don’t always get it right but having a safe space to explore possibilities and push boundaries creatively is fundamental to eliciting their best work. These spaces allow mavericks to take risks while insulating the organisation from potential fallout if projects fail.

Struggling to get your innovative ideas across the line? Use these 8 expert-approved tactics to ‘manage up’ at work.

Four white paper airplanes accompanied by one red paper airplane

Image credit: Adobe Stock / Worawut

Image credit: Adobe Stock / Worawut

Should we all be mavericks?

Our study concludes we don’t all need to be mavericks – like anything, there’s benefit in moderation. As seen in Top Gun, too much rebellion creates team friction, while not questioning the status quo can lead to rigid acceptance without considering alternatives.

Mavericks contribute best where creative and innovative solutions are needed to shake up convention and try to prove the ‘impossible’ is possible, like our big-screen Top Gun pilot. But how can leaders mitigate tensions between mavericks and rule abiding employees? Ree suggests team leaders be open and transparent with other employees about a maverick’s actions and clarify how they align or don’t align with the values and mission of the organisation.

Organisations and teams only need a few mavericks to raise awareness around the processes and practices that limit potential and open the group to thinking outside-the-box.

By stepping outside our comfort zones, being open to experiences and challenging assumptions, we can all be a little more ‘maverick’ when needed, as leaders or employees.

Learn to embrace your inner maverick, challenge the status quo and embrace innovation in your industry with a UQ Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

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Dr Ree Jordan

Dr Ree Jordan

Dr Ree Jordan is a research fellow at UQ Business School. With a professional background in leadership development, organisational culture, and transformational change, her research focuses on understanding beneficial behaviours that lead to innovative problem-solving in organisations. Ree has extensive experience leading organisational change and leadership development initiatives across organisations and teams.