Tempered Radicals is a term coined by Maureen A. Scully and Deborah E. Meyerson used to describe corporate professionals who work toward positive change in both their work environment and the way their companies conduct business—often taking "radical" action that is just short of getting them fired.

In her book, Tempered Radicals: How Everyday Leaders Inspire Change at Work (Harvard Business School Press), Meyerson describes employees who believe and work toward creating adaptive, family-friendly, and socially responsible workplaces.

Tempered Radicals are quiet leaders that act as catalysts for new ideas, alternative perspectives, and organizational learning and change—and balance company conformity with individual rebellion.

Like Cultural Creatives

Cultural Creatives

Cultural Creatives is a term coined by sociologist Paul H. Ray and psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson to describe a large segment in Western society that has recently developed beyond the standard paradigm of Modernists or Progressives versus Traditionalists or Conservatives...

, Tempered Radicals feel at odds with mainstream organizational culture of today. They struggle between their desire to see change and need to fit into the dominant culture of their employer.

This article debuted the concept and the terminology of Tempered Radical:

Scully, M., and Meyerson, D., (1995) “Tempered radicalism and the politics of ambivalence and
Change,” Organization Science, 6(5):585-600.