The brilliant jerk
The brilliant jerk is the bane of teams around the world. We all know one. On the face of things they have all of the talent and skills to do their job - accountant, athlete, engineer, lawyer, chef etc. - really well.
This is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because when they are on form, they can truly transform performance. They lift everyone around them and the sense of possibility is palpable.
However, this happens all too infrequently and the curse is that managers then use this potential performance ability to excuse their behaviour or performance.
This behaviour not only affects outputs and outcomes, it also undermines the physical and psychological safety within a team.
It generates fear, worry, uncertainty and left unchecked not only emboldens the brilliant jerk, but has the potential to spawn new brilliant jerks too. It’s easy to forget that bad behaviour is as contagious as good behaviour within cultures.
Managers - never forget that you get the culture that you choose to build.
Ignoring, excusing or allowing the behaviour of the brilliant jerk to continue unchecked will undermine the culture climate for everyone. Not dealing with the issue will lead to a loss of respect as well as a loss of sleep.
Empathy is key at the start. Try to understand what's behind the behaviour. What are their personality strengths and opportunities for improvement? Have they been managed well previously? Do they need help to be more self-aware or to control the emotion that they feel?
Managers can transform the behaviour or performance of an individual by following these steps first. However, if the brilliant jerk doesn't want to change then the process to rid the organisation of their toxicity needs to be quick.
Netflix are the masters of this. Founder Reed Hastings has talked in his books about the impact of the brilliant jerk and how they need to be dealt with before they can cause further damage.
"Many think 'This guy is so brilliant; we can't afford to lose him'. But it does not matter how brilliant your jerk is, the cost of jerks on effective teamwork is too high. Jerks are likely to rip your organisation apart from the inside."
As a manager I was told on at least two occasions that the process for managing somebody out was too long and I should forget it. I didn't! One changed their behaviour, whilst the other left of their own accord when they realised they were unable to get their own way.
A question I almost always get at conferences is 'What can we learn from the great organisation cultures that you work with?'. The truly great ones not only train their managers on how to be managers, but their people processes are focused on protecting the good people in their organisation, not the bad ones.
When you remove the jerk it protects the work.
