The High Performer Bad Boss Problem
Investigating the challenges and opportunities for high performers who don’t fit the mold.
When I was pursuing my MBA, our professor had us engage in a philosophical debate that became quite lively. It was premised on a simple question: “What do you do with a high performing jerk?”
At first glance, you’d think the obvious answer is to get rid of them. And despite people and manager’s propensity to say they would, they often don’t follow through on what they say. Instead, they promote them.
I saw this firsthand with a coworker, John. The trainwreck was visible long before collision.
John was fantastic at his job. He was technically competent, had amazing memory, and could navigate our systems with ease. During meetings, he could answer any question you threw at him related to his responsibilities. He could also carry a huge workload.
But I knew he’d be a problematic boss. For starters, he was unreasonably demanding with his peers when collaborating. If there was so much as a minor inconsistency or error, he’d conclude the entire thing was ruined and start blaming people. He also raised his voice and lost his temper when his boss wasn’t around.
