The Brilliant Jerk Within

Once upon a time, there lived a king. He got the news that his childhood friend had become a saint. The king was surprised because he remembered his friend's past. His friend was a brilliant child but often acted mean and cruel. So, when the king heard the news, he thought it would be nice to invite him. He told his people to find the saint and send an invitation.

The invitation was sent, and everything was prepared for his visit. The friend arrived on the red carpet on the event day. Everyone in the village welcomed him but noticed his legs were covered in mud.

The public event was over as planned. In the evening, when the king got to be with his friend in private, he asked:" My friend, we have summer season, there is no water or mud around, the roads are all good, then how come your feet were muddy?". The friend explained that he saw the red carpet before entering the village. He entered a nearby field, found mud, and intentionally made his legs dirty before walking on the carpet. "I did that to show you I don't care about what you have achieved. And thus to show you your place," he said to the king.

The king didn't react, but he realised his friend had not transformed and was the same old wicked jerk.

We’ve all encountered the so-called “brilliant jerk” in the workplace—someone exceptionally talented but equally challenging to work with. While it’s easy to point fingers to recognize that sometimes, we may embody aspects of the brilliant jerk ourselves. Here are three steps to confront and deal with the brilliant jerk lurking inside us:

Step 1: Self-Awareness – The Mirror Test

The first step in is recognizing it. Perform a self-assessment to understand how many of the ‘brilliant jerk’ traits you exhibit.

? Confidently Wrong: Do you insist you’re right, even when evidence suggests otherwise?

? Last Word Syndrome: Are you always seeking the final say in discussions?

? Black and White Thinking: Do you struggle with nuance, seeing issues as good or bad with no in-between?

Could you make a list, be honest with yourself, and identify which traits you have?

Step 2: The Humility Exercise – Swallowing Your Pride

Once you know your brilliant jerk tendencies, the next step is to cultivate humility.

1. Admit Mistakes: Embrace the power of saying, “I was wrong,” or “I’m sorry.”

2. Seek Feedback: Counter your resistance to feedback by actively asking for it from peers and superiors.

3. Listen More: Make a concerted effort to let others have the last word. You might learn something new.

Humility doesn’t mean undermining yourself but recognizing that you’re a work in progress.

Step 3: Taking Action – The 24-Hour Rule

Now that you’re more self-aware and have a dose of humility, it’s time to take action. Implement the 24-hour rule: Whenever you display a ‘brilliant jerk’ trait, give yourself 24 hours to rectify it.

? Caught Being Overconfident?: Reflect on the issue and acknowledge the viewpoints of others.

? Jumped to Conclusions?: Take a step back, gather all the facts, and if necessary, correct your stance.

? Unwilling to Accept Feedback?: Revisit the feedback after 24 hours with a fresh mind, and you might find value in it.

By actively committing to change, you make yourself more pleasant to be around and foster a more cooperative and less toxic environment for everyone involved.

We all have room for improvement. Confronting the brilliant jerk inside us is a challenging yet necessary endeavour if we aspire to be better colleagues and, more importantly, better human beings. Following these three steps—self-awareness, humility, and taking timely action—can go a long way in transforming us from a ‘brilliant jerk’ to simply ‘brilliant’.