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Dr Rebel: There is no such thing as being too honest, is there? Today’s question: My teammates find me blunt, but if I don’t tell them as it is, things won’t change. Am I using the wrong tactic? Rebels don’t mince their words; they say what they think, regardless. And while that comes from a […]

Dr Rebel: It’s a misunderstanding that rebels love to argue Today’s question: How can I disagree more productively? Many people remain silent, even when they see a better way, because they don’t want to seem difficult, create tension, or burn bridges. But disagreement doesn’t have to be divisive. When approached with respect and curiosity, it

Dr Rebel: Every organisation needs its Wild Ducks 🦆 Today’s question: Some rebels in our organisation follow their own path. How should we handle this? IBM’s former CEO T.J. Watson Jr. said: “We are convinced that any business needs its wild ducks. And in IBM, we try not to tame them.” Watson believed that wild

Dr Rebel: Make your rebel a G.R.O.S.S.-leader, it’s a win-win 💫 Today’s question: All that bureaucracy at work drives me nuts, but my boss won’t let me spend time on it to fix it. At the hospital, a nurse cared for a patient who wasn’t allowed to drink more than 500 millilitres a day. However,

Dr Rebel: Being nice is not the same as being kind Today’s question: The rebel in my team always gives me a hard time. Why can’t he ever be nice? Southwest Airlines Herb Kelleher, the legendary co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, was known for his humour and unique leadership style. Here is an

Dr Rebel: 5 things you should never say to a rebel Today’s question: Somehow, I always seem to say things that piss off the rebel in my team. What am I doing wrong?  In 2001, Microsoft announced they would launch a ‘pen-enabled’ Personal Computer called the Microsoft Tablet PC. It failed miserably: “Nobody wants a big

Dr Rebel: Canary in the coal mine Today’s question: My fellow rebel always says “I told you so”, and it drives the team nuts! This topic probably resonates with many rebels. I can’t count the number of times I have tried to warn my manager and coworkers of potential issues, only to see these exact issues happen

Dr Rebel: A rebel with a curse ☢️ Today’s question: I see problems and opportunities from miles away, but no one ever listens. Help! Cassandra was a princess of Troy in Greek mythology, known for her beauty and wisdom. The god Apollo fell in love with her and offered her the gift of prophecy if

Dr Rebel: Too much focus on focus… the problem isn’t overthinking, it’s overdoing 📌 Today’s question: One of my team members procrastinates, often staring into space. How can I help him to get more focused? We live in a work world obsessed with being busy—setting goals, making to-do lists, and checking things off. We are

Dr Rebel: Disengagement is easy to fix, indifference is not Today’s question: Many rebels in our organisation have become disengaged, which worries me. What can we do? Rebels are known for their proactive attitude. They have a deep urge to improve things. Whenever they see a problem, they take ownership to solve it. For them,

Dr Rebel: Ooops … I did it again! Upsetting the boss, now what? Today’s question: I might have offended my boss. How can I make up? I believe today’s question is pretty recognisable for many rebels. At least it is for me, and probably during my corporate career, I have offended my bosses more often

Dr Rebel: Can we stop framing ‘Yes, but…’ negatively? Today’s question: My co-worker always says ‘Yes, but …’ and it drives me crazy. Please advise! The “yes, buts” can kill change and smother attempts at innovation. Well, that’s the general belief. And in some cases, it does. But it can also spur creative thinking. Let

Dr Rebel: Don’t judge too quickly; rebels have a different operating system Today’s question: The rebel in my team bypasses me, and it upsets me. How do you think I should handle this situation? Before I get to why people in your team bypass you and what you can do about it, I want to

dr rebel: 2024 … it’s a wrap 💫 this is it – we near the end of 2024 so it’s time for a reflection, an overview, and a gift (or two)! this was the first year of the ASK DR REBEL newsletter. below you can find the full overview of all 23 questions, categorised into three

dr rebel: don’t mistake rebelliousness for toxicity Today’s question: i don’t know how to interpret the rebel’s behaviour in my team. am i dealing with a toxic person? we often refer to a toxic colleague as someone who is always negative, critical, or just plain difficult to be around. there seems to be an overlap

dr rebel: stay calm in the heat of the moment Today’s question: when people are not open to what i have to say, i get super frustrated and become cynical. how can i manage my emotions better? becoming cynical works counterproductive; people don’t like negativity, so the more sarcastic you get, the more they’ll avoid

dr rebel: oh no! my boss is a rebel 🤯 Today’s question: my rebel boss changes his mind and comes up with new ideas all the time. how should i deal with this? creative and innovative bosses can be exciting, fun, and inspiring. they can also make you feel overwhelmed and frustrated when you can’t

dr rebel: don’t expect creativity when people are stuck in your bureaucracy swamp Today’s question: i wish my team would develop more new ideas. how can i help them to rebel a bit more? people don’t come up with new ideas for a variety of reasons. the assumption is it’s due to a lack of

dr rebel: getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable Today’s question: rebels dare to speak up without feeling uncomfortable. how do they manage? for the majority of people, speaking up in a group while everyone else remains silent is too scary. thus, most people decide not to. however, rebels seem to be pretty confident in sharing a

dr rebel: smarty-pants versus workplace fixer Today’s question: i want to improve how we work, but i keep my mouth shut because i feel people think i am a know-it-all. what should i do? know-it-alls in the workplace can be pretty annoying. they believe they have the answer to everything, are stubborn, unwilling to listen

dr rebel: how rebellious are you? Today’s question: is there a rebel in all of us? “is everyone a rebel?”, or put differently: “are you born a rebel?” is one of the most frequently asked questions i get. my first response is always to look at children. they all are rebels, no exceptions. they keep

dr rebel: learn to solve problems like a rebel Today’s question: rebels seem to fix stuff really well. how do they do that? many people in organisations are super busy and their agendas are fuller than ever. but if you reflect on how they spend their time, a great part goes to ‘firefighting’. fixing problems

dr rebel: five things you need to know about working with a rebel Today’s question: i have to collaborate with the rebel in our team, but it’s damn hard. how can we make it work? rebels can move mountains for you but you need to understand them a little to let that magic work. they

dr rebel: welcome unsolicited advice and you’ll have a win-win Today’s question: the rebel in my team keeps giving me unsolicited advice and it drives me nuts. please, help me! we all have been there. you are presenting your idea or solution, and then you are (again!) bombarded with suggestions about things you didn’t ask

dr rebel: create the right context and rebels will move mountains for you Today’s question: how can i empower rebels in my team? often, rebels are seen as troublemakers, and people tend to go around them. i have a slightly different view on rebels 😎 (read the ASK DR REBEL newsletter edition about what makes