There's a scene in The Big Short where Steve Carell's character, Mark Baum, is at a conference, hand raised, asking another uncomfortable question.
While everyone else seems content to accept the prevailing wisdom, he simply can't help himself. Something doesn't make sense, and he's going to ask about it.
I've spent a fair amount of my career with my metaphorical (and often physical) hand in the air.
Sometimes I was right. Sometimes I wasn't. And sometimes I'm sure everyone wished I'd just put my hand down.
But I've always been drawn to people who question things. People who aren't satisfied with "that's just how it's done." People who see something that could be better and feel compelled to do something about it.
I've been fortunate to meet some extraordinary people who embody that spirit.
Some are larger than life. Others are quiet and understated. Some challenge institutions from within, while others build something entirely different.
But they share something important: they care enough to challenge the status quo, and have the courage and determination to do something about it.
These people have shaped my career, outlook on life and ambitions more than they probably realise. And importantly we haven't always agreed with each other!
The people who taught me to dream bigger
My first encounters with this kind of thinking came through rugby league.
At the University of Exeter, I met Joe Catcheside.
Joe had an extraordinary ability to make things seem possible (and not just because his team talks could last for hours).
He supported our university rugby league ambitions, helped me secure a contract with the Rugby Football League, and encouraged me to pursue opportunities that probably seemed a little ambitious.
We went on to help establish rugby league in Cornwall, and through Joe I met Gary Hetherington, Chief Executive of Leeds Rhinos.
Gary subsequently offered me a contract at Leeds.
I remember being picked up from a hotel at six in the morning to head to the Rhinos training ground. An early introduction to Gary's extraordinary work ethic.
What struck me was his ability to combine deep respect for rugby league's traditions with an unwavering determination to grow and improve the sport.
He wasn't interested in accepting its limitations. He was interested in what it could become (and still is).
That thinking also helped establish a partnership between Exeter University and Leeds Rhinos.
Joe taught me to dream bigger and pursue the things I loved. Gary showed me the commitment required to turn ambition into reality.
And then there's Bob Brown.
Bob has dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and energy to Hemel Stags Rugby League Club.
Building and sustaining a community sports organisation isn't glamorous. It requires persistence, creativity, endless problem-solving and enormous personal commitment.
Bob embodies all those qualities.
He's humble, understated and, in his own way, an absolute force of nature.
He taught me that rebellion doesn't have to be loud.
Sometimes it's simply refusing to accept that something worthwhile can't be done.
The people who challenged how industries work
As my career moved into transport, infrastructure and international development, I found myself drawn to similar characters.
Adam Leishman has spent much of his career challenging conventional thinking in the bus industry.
Rather than accepting how things had always worked, he pursued different approaches to public transport and ultimately built a company around his own vision.
What I admire about Adam is his willingness to combine conviction with action.
It's relatively easy to criticise an industry. It's much harder to put your own reputation, time and resources behind doing something differently.
Then there's Justin Coetzee.
Anyone who has worked with Justin will recognise his extraordinary passion for improving transport in Africa.
Where others see complexity, institutional barriers or reasons something won't work, Justin sees opportunities to experiment, build and make progress.
Working in infrastructure and international development, you can spend an enormous amount of time discussing why things are difficult.
Why institutions can't change. Why projects can't happen. Why investment can't be mobilised.
Sometimes those challenges are very real.
But sometimes we become so accustomed to explaining the barriers that we forget to ask whether we could do something about them.
Justin reminds me why I became interested in this work in the first place.
Not simply to analyse problems, but to help solve them.
The people who gave me confidence to challenge from within
Not every rebel starts a company.
Some of the most important work happens inside large organisations, challenging them to be better.
Richard Threlfall is a particularly important example for me.
During my time at KPMG, Richard backed my ambition to develop our work in emerging markets and international investment.
He provided encouragement, support and the space to pursue ideas that didn't always fit neatly within conventional organisational boundaries.
Richard was also never afraid to challenge KPMG itself.
He cared deeply about the organisation and its potential, which meant he was prepared to be vocal when he thought it could do better.
Challenging an organisation isn't necessarily a sign of disloyalty. Sometimes it's precisely the opposite.
But Richard also taught me something else.
He didn't simply encourage my enthusiasm or agree with everything I said.
He challenged me too.
He helped me understand where to focus my energy, when to push, when to listen and how to turn ambition into something constructive.
That's probably one of the most valuable things a leader can do for someone who has a tendency to question everything.
Not suppress that instinct, but help channel it.
There's something else worth saying about all these people.
I haven't always agreed with them. Far from it.
We've had plenty of arguments, disagreements and, on occasion, some fairly spectacular clashes.
And I suspect they'd all tell you that I can be just as frustrating to deal with as they can be!
But perhaps that's part of the point.
The people who challenge your thinking aren't always the people who agree with you. Sometimes they're the ones who push back hardest, question your assumptions and refuse to let you get away with an easy answer.
I've learnt as much from disagreeing with these people as I have from agreeing with them.
And despite those disagreements, my respect and affection for them has only grown.
You don't have to agree with someone to recognise that they're extraordinary.
Rebellion comes with responsibility
Of course, it's easy to romanticise being a rebel.
To imagine that questioning the status quo automatically makes you right.
It doesn't.
Sometimes you're wrong. Sometimes the people you're challenging understand things you don't. And sometimes the constraints are genuine.
I've certainly made mistakes.
I've pushed too hard, become frustrated too quickly and underestimated the importance of bringing people with me.
There have undoubtedly been times when I've confused my own impatience with an organisation's unwillingness to change.
But the people I've admired most understand this balance.
They have the confidence to challenge conventional wisdom, but also the humility to listen, learn and recognise when someone else has a better answer.
And crucially, they're doers.
There's a significant difference between identifying what's wrong and taking responsibility for making it better.
The latter requires patience, persistence and the willingness to accept that progress is rarely as straightforward as we'd like.
Constructive rebellion isn't simply about challenging the way things are. It's about helping create something better.
Find your rebel
Looking back, the people who have influenced me most share something important.
They've seen potential where others have seen limitations.
They've challenged accepted thinking, pursued unlikely opportunities and done something about it.
But what makes them particularly special isn't simply what they've achieved themselves.
It's the confidence they've given others to think bigger and pursue their own ambitions.
I know that's been true for me.
They've made seemingly unreasonable ambitions feel achievable and reminded me that established ways of doing things aren't necessarily the best ways.
The older I get, the more I appreciate how much these people have shaped the way I think, the opportunities I've pursued and the confidence I've had to challenge things that didn't seem right.
I haven't always got the balance right.
But I don't regret raising my hand.
And I certainly don't regret surrounding myself with people who encouraged me to do so.
Because the world needs people who question things. Who see possibilities where others see obstacles. Who have the courage to act on their convictions.
And we need people who encourage those qualities in others.
So find your rebel.
Find the people who make you believe that more is possible.
Find the people who challenge you to think bigger, aim higher and have the courage to try.
And when you find them, don't just admire what they do.
Be that person for someone else.