"Do not tolerate brilliant jerks. The cost to teamwork is too high." - Reed Hastings, CEO Netflix
Brilliant jerks decrease morale and productivity, bring frustrations, reduce credibility of leaders and foster the best people to leave teams and/or organisations.
And those who leave also have something to share, even if anonymously - it is the best/worst and the most trustworthy marketing for company.
The fluctuation of people in the organisations shows how deep are the roots of integrity, respect, leadership and organisational culture.
Never underestimate the sudden quietness of the usually most enthusiastic and engaged people. To understand silent and quiet people we need loads of empathy, intuition, compassion and attention. We need to now how to "read" people, understand how they breath, move and re-act.
Because when it hurts most, we become the most silent. Just like all animals do. We feel threatened, afraid, hurt, powerless and scared.
And so often the most truly brilliant, talented, helpful, positive and gentle people in the organisations are those who become quiet because of the "brilliant" jerks. So they pull back, move on and go away. Or they stay and become unproductive, anxious, careless, indifferent and unhappy.
