The health of your organization’s culture rises only to the level of behaviors demonstrated by your most technically skilled person.
If your most talented team member is a brilliant jerk, the jerk’s behaviors are the standard—the cultural norms—that are acceptable and expected.
(“Jerk” is a term I hesitated to use; it carries judgement that is damaging. I’m negligent in not finding a better term.)
Talent matters. And, rationalizing the need to keep a single person (because you need their talents) is a silent admission that you’re willing to diminish the talents of the many.
Culture matters more.
P.S. Jerks are often jerks because they’re empowered to be so.
