'Jerks' Get Undue Credit

Some time ago, Suzanne Lucas considered a conversation between Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary and Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor, in which the two resorted to a less-polite term than jerk to describe high performers, crediting them with better executional and goal-setting skills.

Her analysis for why, for so many, that seems to be the case is worth reading, and amounts to three reasons, which don't really make a case for the jerks at all:

1. Some actual jerks manage to be top performers in spite of themselves;
2. People who make hiring decisions often mistake likability for cultural fit, and/or let friendship cloud their judgement on the job; and
3. Good people can and do dislike each other -- but also have famously good working relationships.

Her piece brought back memories from decades ago when, fresh out of college, I was once urged by my commanding officer to Be an asshole! -- O'Leary's preferred term! -- after I was less assertive than he would have liked.

There were certainly jerks among my fellow officers in the wardroom, but I at least had the good sense not to emulate them.

And I did, eventually, figure out what the captain was trying to convey, but something like Lucas's analysis would have gotten me there much faster.

-- CAV