book covers rebel talent

A 5 Minute Overview Of

Rebel Talent

Why It Pays to Break the Rules At Work and In Life

About the Author


Francesca Gino is professor of business administration at Harvard Business School where she teaches courses on decision making and negotiation. She is also a behavioral science researcher, business consultant and keynote speaker. She has worked with companies like Bacardi, Akamai, Disney, Goldman Sachs, Honeywell, Novataris, P&G and the United States Army, Navy and Air Force. Francesca Gino previously published the book Sidetracked and is a graduate of Harvard Business School.

The Main Idea


As strange as it may sound, the people who are doing the best work in their respective professional fields generally tend to be the rule breakers rather than followers of all the conventions. They are the rebels and the world is certainly a better and more interesting place because of them.

That's interesting because education in general teaches people to be rule followers from an early age. There's always pressure to fit in, to get good grades and to conform to the group standards and that pressure tends to grow the longer you stay in a field. That's unfortunate because conformity and mindless acceptance of rules stifles creativity.

If you really want to stand out at work and in life in general, break the rules. Break, transform, create. Apply a little constructive nonconformity. That's what it means to tap into your "Rebel Talent".

Rebellion is an approach to life and work that we can all embrace. Rule breaking does not have to get us into trouble, if done correctly and in the right doses—in fact, it can help us get ahead. I began this project by trying to understand rule breaking in the workplace. But breaking rules, as I discovered along the way, enriches every aspect of our lives. Living life like a rebel is energizing. I’ve tried it myself, and it’s opened me up to a world of new experiences. My hope is that this book will help you discover your own rebel talent and allow you to help others to do the same. There are strong habits that pull us toward the familiar and comfortable. We need to learn to “break” these habits, like so many Han dynasty urns. Only then will we be ready to transform them—and, ultimately, to create our own success.
Francesca Gino

Want in-depth 30-minute summaries?

In addition to this 5-minute overview, Summaries.Com has a premium 30-minute summary of this book and 1,000+ more, to help you advance your career and business.

Check Out Summaries.com Premium Plans Today!

Want more 5-minute Snapshots?

To get a new 5-minute business book snapshot each week, sign up for the Summaries.com free plan.

Sign Up for the Summaries.com Free Plan

Talent 101 Collection


If you enjoyed this summary, here is a collection of related business book summaries, to help you get ideas and strategies that will give you an edge over your competition.

This mini-course will give you ideas about how you manage and attract talent.

Buy Talent 101 Collection (5 x 30-Min Summaries)
book covers rebel talent
Summary published 8/2018
Rebel Talent

Why It Pays to Break the Rules At Work and In Life

by Francesca Gino

book covers the talent war
Summary published 12/2020
The Talent War

How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent

by Mike Sarraille and George Randle

book covers talent is overrated
Summary published in 2008
Talent Is Overrated

What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else

by Geoff Colvin

book covers talent force
Summary published in 2006
Talent Force

A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business

by Rusty Rueff and Hank Stringer

book covers the war for talent
Summary published in 2001
The War for Talent

Surviving In The Era Of Competitive Recruiting

by Ed Michaels and Helen Handfield-Jones

Buy Talent 101 Collection (5 x 30-Min Summaries)