Weird Works
By Les Mottosky
A quarter century ago, if we saw someone walking down the street staring blankly at their hand, we'd likely wonder something like:
"Did they hurt their hand?"
Or...
"Does that person understand situational awareness?"
How that's changed. On North American streets these days – no matter how busy or dangerous – a focus on the hand is almost to be expected. And if it's not the absolute norm, it's trending that direction.
What was strange has become common.
Tree-hugging used to be for fringe eco-warriors, now it's an accepted therapy. Grandmothers are adding functional mushrooms to their coffee to improve focus and memory. Psychedelics were once the domain of Grateful Dead concerts, now they're a tool for high-performing CEOs. More than that, you or I can experience a psychedelic session from a therapist. A handful of people used to do a polar swim as a New Year's Day dare, now dedicated ice tubs are popping-up in backyards for daily use.
The most consequential expression of this can be found in our media landscape. Once considered mainstream, legacy media reporting is now questioned depending on an individuals identity. Specifically their political leanings. (This is a weird change unto itself. Nowadays if you ask someone "What are you?" you might get a response like "liberal", "progressive", "libertarian" or "conservative". Two decades ago they'd answer "Zookeeper", "Mechanic" or "Engineer".) A very real skepticism of what constitutes "news" has gripped society. And that skepticism is intensifying.
In 2026, weird is where it's at. And it's only gonna get weirder.
For most of history, weird was a warning label. Don’t be strange. Don’t stand out. Don’t do the thing no one else is doing. Weird got you exiled, mocked, burned, or at least uninvited from dinner. Normal kept you safe.
But normal doesn’t work anymore.
The world has slipped its rails. Systems we trusted are wobbling. Careers, identities, institutions —none of which were ever guarantees to happiness – have become even more questionable.
Playing it safe now just means slowly falling behind with better posture.
In this environment, weird isn’t a liability. It’s an adaptation.
This is the shift we’re living through.
Odd obsessions, nonlinear thinking, uncomfortable questions, intuitive leaps —once the exclusive domain of the weirdo – are exactly what create breakthroughs. The people who see around corners don’t arrive there by following the straight path. They zig when others zag. Pushing forward a scintillating solution that looks ridiculous right up until it's accepted as inevitable.
Weird people notice patterns others miss. They tolerate ambiguity longer. They ask better questions because they’re not trying to sound smart, they’re trying to understand. This made them inconvenient in stable times but indispensable in 2026.
You already know what makes you weird. You’ve probably spent years managing it, hiding it, or apologizing for it. You were told to be “more realistic,” “tone it down,” or “stay in your lane.”
That advice aged poorly.
We don’t need more polished normals. We need people willing to trust their strange angle on reality long enough to test it. Weird is no longer the opposite of competent. It’s become the raw material of the remarkable.
Weird is where outstanding leadership, organizational breakthroughs and unbreakable team chemistry are all birthed.
If you're doing your part to make your workplace weirder, you're also pushing it where it needs to go to thrive.
Weird is adaptation turned up to eleven.
Normal had a good run.
But weird? Weird is just getting warmed up.
TAGS: #Weird Works #Adaptation As Innovation #Wisdom In Leadership #Radical Reframe #Forever Change
Les Mottosky
Adaptation Strategist & Advisor // Revealing competitive advantage. I help leaders build aligned creative cultures that can measure their vitality and adapt to rapid change. It's not easy. But it's simple.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-mottosky-9b94527/
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