I had a testy discussion with a person about “brilliant jerks” being cut from the herd by human resources. One can imagine my reply. Said she, ”How do you define jerks? If it is that they are brilliant and a little unusual, they aren’t really a jerk. If they are brilliant, but yell pejoratives (sic), curse, and throw things at you; yeah, they are a jerk. (I had a brilliant boss, many years ago, that threw a pair of scissors at me because she was going through a divorce and I was the closest target. She missed, luckily.)
My reply:
I appreciate your thoughts. However a “brilliant jerk” would not throw scissors. I am quite confident you understand how I define brilliant jerks. These are people pushing the boundaries of excellence. Not inept actors masquerading as leaders.
