Ducks in a Row: Just Say No To Brilliant Jerks
by Miki SaxonThis is a short post, with a lot of valuable links.
Way back in 2007 Standard prof Bob Sutton wrote the No Asshole Rule and McKinsey did in-depth research on the damage they do.
In 2015 Rich Waidmann created a no jerks culture.
Sutton followed up in 2015 essentially saying it’s all about the people.
Last week a post on LinkedIn talking about women CTOs who won’t hire “brilliant jerks.”
There are hundreds more posts, articles, books, research, comments, etc. that talk about the downside of jerks — brilliant or otherwise. (In case you’re wondering, the brilliance supposedly offsets the jerk part.)
But it’s a fallacy to think that it’s just women who are creating cultures that don’t tolerate brilliant jerks, just as it is to think that all brilliant jerks are male.
As with any other label, brilliant jerks can be found in any imaginable combination of race, creed, color, national origin, gender identification, size, and shape.
None are worth keeping, because, even if it takes some time, they will poison your culture and run off your team.
Image credit: Kurt Bauschardt
