Over lunch, my guest mentioned a friend of hers. Without thinking, I said enthusiastically, “That nut-case!” My guest almost chocked as she somehow looked both shocked and hurt. That’s when I realized that not everyone shares my love of nut-cases, especially of the female variety.

Frankly, I believe every organization needs at least one nut-case.

A company nut-case is someone who does not worship the status quo simply because we’ve always done it this way. Nut-cases believe in making a difference, especially when a different result is obviously needed. They focus on desired outcomes, not on the ritual inputs.

Yet, this making a difference by doing differently is what really annoys their more cautious colleagues. You see, nut-cases think ‘why-to’ before they bother with ‘how-to’.

But why call them nut-cases? Because they are hard to crack once they are determined not to give in or give up.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.