“Every company is under fierce competition,” says Holly Meidl, Senior Vice President of the Healthcare Division of Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd.

To remain in business, your company will need to stay nimble. And the best way to achieve this, according to Meidl, is to have team members who are already thinking like the competition, and looking for ways to disrupt what they’re currently doing.

“This means thinking about how to do things a better way, to bring a better product to market, to become a better adviser, and to add value or have a value proposition that’s unique,” she explains, adding, “And the only way to do that is by taking a risk, stepping out, and doing something different than the way you’ve always done it.”

Meidl goes so far as to look for appropriate examples of rule-breaking (and risk-taking) on the résumés of those she interviews and hires. It’s a highly prized commodity, in her view, because it shows evidence that an individual is willing to step outside of their comfort zone. “In our current global economy,” she says, “companies need risk-takers and rule-breakers.”