If The Shoe Fits: Jerks and Brilliance
by Miki Saxon
A Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here.
A couple of years ago Dick Costolo explained why startups needed to hire “brilliant jerks” in order to succeed.
It’s stuff like that, especially from people like Costolo, that gives people permission to act like jerks.
Why?
Because people who tend to be jerks are usually delusional enough to believe that they’re brilliant.
But what about those who are brilliant (or what passes as such these days) and act like jerks?
Well, why not?
All they are doing is living up to expectations and, like Pavlov’s dog, the more free passes they get the more they will believe their actions/attitudes are OK.
In my life I’ve been around a lot of real brilliance and they had certain traits in common.
Without exception, they loved sharing their knowledge, building up those around them and helping them grow — no matter who.
That’s what truly brilliant people do; that’s why they are remembered.
The same goes for everyone who does the same.
Whereas the jerks are ephemeral and soon forgotten.
If they are remembered, it’s for what they did, as opposed to how they acted.
Steve Jobs is a good example, as is Jeff Bezos.
Think about it; what’s the likelihood that the brilliant jerks in your world are in the same league?
Image credit: HikingArtist
