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At some point in your career, you will probably have to deal with a brilliant jerk at work. The life of a brilliant jerk is a living hell. Sometimes their jerkiness is even endorsed by management, but not by those who work with them.

If you are one of the people who works with a brilliant jerk, dealing with them can be difficult if you aren't in a position to change anything. You can either mitigate or eliminate the toxicity with certain strategies.

Remember jerkiness can be subjective 

Some people are toxic. Their status as a jerk can be a little more subjective. We all have been jerks throughout the course of our lives. Factoring in different personality and style is important in assessing what is going on.

Is it just because we see the world differently or we have a different approach to our work, or are there elements of their style that are destructive?

This is not to say that your actions are causing the toxic behavior or that we have the power to stop them. If a jerk's behavior goes unaddressed, then it's not going to get better.

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What leaders can do about brilliant jerks

It is important to consider the impact of a jerk on the work environment if you are in a position of power. There is a good chance that the jerk's impact on the company is detrimental. If they make their colleagues less productive or even drive them away from the organization, are they really that productive?

It can reduce the productivity of the rest of the team by more than one person contributes.

If you create an environment where people feel confident speaking up in the face of injustice or unethical behavior, then that kind of behavior will win.

What we can do about jerks at work

Most of us aren't in a position where we can make big changes to the work environment. There are still some strategies that can be used to make things better.

One way to deal with a toxic co-worker is to seek out co-workers who make your life better.

It's easier to be successful in a system if you align with the positive people around you. The co-workers can help you process the situation and come up with solutions.

Bringing up the behavior to a higher-up might be a way to change the situation. It is important to proceed cautiously because of the risk of retaliation.

If you want to approach a higher-up about the impact of a toxic co-worker, you should frame your concerns as a request for help, rather than a complaint about another person.

It's time to stop thinking that if a person is brilliant, then they have the right to be a jerk.