In a world of sameness, creative leaders naturally stand out.
They are the black sheep in a sea of white sheep.
They’re the misfits, the rebels, the round pegs in square holes.
They are — weird.
And guess what? That’s a good thing. No — a great thing.
Because it's their secret sauce that allows them to Wow.

Recently, a long-term friend told me someone in the German business community in Bangkok referred to me as: “Oh, you mean the weird one?”

Guilty as charged. And guess what? Proud of it.

So in this article, I want to extend a warm welcome to those of you who dare to be different — and invite you into a very special club:  The Creative Leaders Club.
(Warning! Membership requirement: a healthy dose of weirdness.)

First Insight from Genius Journey: Creative Leaders Are Not Normal

When I developed Genius Journey — Thinkergy’s creative leadership development method — I analyzed the lives of exceptional creative leaders. People like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Thomas Edison, and even Warren Buffett.

What I discovered became the first core insight of the method:

“Geniuses produce extraordinary ideas and results because they think, work, and behave differently than ordinary people. They are not normal — they are abnormal.”

Creative leaders are weird because… they have to be.
Ordinary minds don’t generate extraordinary breakthroughs.

From Corporate Banker to Outlier

When I worked at Deutsche Bank more than two decades ago, the dress code was like a military parade:

• Dark blue or grey suit
• Light blue or white shirt
• Conservative tie
• Cufflinks optional

I stood out like a parrot at a penguin party.
Orange ties. Yellow shirts. Brown suits. Green jackets. Colorful and proud.

At the time, I didn’t fully understand why I felt so out of place — but later, after I had developed Thinkergy’s talent & innovator profiling system, TIPS, I discovered I profile as an Extreme Ideator. I am wired to challenge the status quo in an industry that exists to maintain it.

Eventually, I followed my inner calling after experiencing an Eureka moment of breakthrough creativity that made me realize who I truly am and what I really should do with my life. This enlightenment was so powerful that it gave me the courage to leave a lucrative international banking career, take the plunge, and do what I am really called to do:
Founding the creative breakthrough company Thinkergy.
Inventing four proprietary innovation methods, including Genius Journey.
And building a life and career in alignment with who I truly am.

Real-Life Weirdos Who Changed the World

I am not the only one who has chosen the path less traveled. Most creative leaders do. Let’s look at some famous examples and the weird things they do: 

Steve Jobs

Uniform: Black turtleneck, Levi’s 501s, New Balance sneakers.
Even for keynote speeches. 

Weird? Yes. Iconic? Absolutely.

Richard Branson:

Marketing stunts galore:

• Serving drinks in his Virgin Atlantic airplanes dressed as a stewardess flight attendant
• Rappelled down buildings
• Drove a tank through Times Square

Weird? Very. Memorable? Massively.

Thomas Edison:

• Slept in 20-minute catnaps
• Worked 20-hour days
• Ran 10,000+ experiments to invent the lightbulb
  No formal schooling. No boundaries. No limits.

Weird? Yep. Brilliant? Clearly.

Warren Buffett:

Most finance guys go to Wall Street.
He stayed in Omaha, reading annual reports in solitude.
No networking. No flash. Just focus and foresight.
Weird? Hugely.
Yet he built up Berkshire Hathaway from rural Nebraska by quietly honing his own sets of investment rules. He became one of the most successful investors of all time — by doing the opposite of what career advice books in the finance industry prescribe.

Weird Is the New Wonderful

So what’s the major insight here?

Creative leaders are not normal — they are extraordinary.

• They don’t follow rules — they write their own playbooks.
• They don’t blend in — they stand out.
• They don’t mimic others — they express their true selves.

And they inspire others to do the same.

That’s what I do through Genius Journey.
This transformative method helps professionals — from executives to creatives — reconnect with their inner genius and evolve into original, daring, effective creative leaders.

Because — let’s echo Albert Einstein and say it loud and clear: “There is a genius in all of us.”
Even if life tried to ‘de-genius’ you, it’s still there — waiting to be rediscovered.

Conclusion: Join the Creative Leaders Club

I’m proud to be weird.
I’m proud to be a creative leader of creative leaders.
And I’m proud to welcome you — yes, you! — to our wonderfully weird tribe.

So if someone calls you “the weird one”…
Smile.
Take a bow.
And say: “Thank you.”

Because weird isn’t wrong — it’s essential.
Weird is where the genius lives.

Ready to Start Your Genius Journey?

• Want to reconnect with your inner genius? Check out our Genius Journey Booklet and the Genius Journey website. 
• Ready to embrace the weird and lead creatively? Read Chapter 7 of my new book: Unleashing WOW: The Creative Leader’s Guide to Breakthrough Innovation.

Then take the first step:

• Explore our Genius Journey training — a transformative 10-destination experience that awakens your creative potential and empowers you to lead with brilliance.  Contact us to co-create your perfect program.

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2025.