Originality is defined as a way to think independently and creatively. It's a word that symbolizes something new and different that stands out from the crowd.
When I think of originality, I think of people who have paved the way on a different road, not going the normal path. I think about people who have created their careers in unique methods, earning their income by doing things that nobody expected.
Some of the original influencers in our generation of YouTube and social media were absolutely original. Funny enough, when I think of the TV show Jackass back during the MTV days, it was as original as it could get. We had never seen a group of idiots doing these types of acts on television, all to earn their living.
The people who start new types of businesses or create titans of industry type companies are original. That guy who created Bitcoin, wherever he may be or whomever he may be, is about as original as it gets. I think about Banksy, the street artist from the UK whose identity is unlisted. Sure, he's doing street art, which isn't exactly original, but the fact that he's remained mysterious — often creating art from art — means he's an original.
I love the originals because for the most part, everyone is a carbon copy of someone else doing something we've seen before.
You want to work in finance? Cool. You want to work in sales? Great career — you're now one of a few million salespeople. Interested in working in marketing? Outstanding choice — you're now replaceable tomorrow.
Originality says you're a one of one. It says you can't be replaced in what you do, who you are, and what you bring to the table.
Now, you can work in sales, finance, or marketing and be an original, but most people choose to follow the same path and pattern. I've made a 20-year career out of leading sales functions, but my point is this: don't just be like everyone else. If you're going to be in a role, be original. Stand out from the pack.
Why be the same as everyone else when you can be an original? Why just exist in a state of conformity when you can create your own path, your own brand, your own methods of success, and become completely original?
Originality in your career doesn't mean you have to reinvent the wheel. It doesn't mean you need to change the entire world overnight. It means you find ways to put your fingerprints on the work you do. It means you show up in a way that leaves no doubt about who you are and what you stand for. That's what makes you irreplaceable.
The truth is, most people are afraid to be original. It is safer to blend in. It is safer to use the same résumé template, to copy the same LinkedIn posts, to mimic the way everyone else pitches in a meeting. But safety does not get remembered. Safety does not stand out. And safety does not build a career that lights you up inside.
Originality demands courage. It requires you to push against norms, to risk criticism, to sometimes look stupid before you look brilliant. Every original idea gets laughed at before it gets respected. That is the price of stepping out of line, but it is also the path to creating something meaningful.
Think about it: every career-defining move you admire in others probably started with someone saying, "That's crazy, that won't work." But those are the moves that shift industries, change lives, and rewrite the rules of what is possible. Originals do not just play the game better — they change the game entirely.
The best part? You do not have to wait for permission to be original. Nobody is going to tap you on the shoulder and say, "Now's the time, go be different." It is a choice you make in how you operate today. How you write that email. How you pitch that client. How you build your personal brand. The choice to stop copying and start creating.
If you want to build a career that matters, stop worrying about being liked by everyone. Stop trying to fit into every box. Start asking yourself: how can I put more of me into the work? How can I do this in a way only I would do it? That is the beginning of originality — and the start of a career that nobody else can duplicate.