Mistaking an Attribute for the Cause

(Image from careerealism.com)

Forbes columnist Rich Karlgaard cautions against emulating the "jerky behavior" of superstar-CEO's Steve Jobs and Elon Musk:

If you decide you want to behave this way, make sure you’re the company founder, you’re the smartest person in the room, you outwork everyone and that people love your products.....The number of individuals who check all those boxes is minuscule. Thomas Edison. Henry Ford. Steve Jobs. Elon Musk [Tesla, SolarCity, SpaceX]. Jeff Bezos [Amazon]. Travis Kalanick [Uber].

For the vast majority of us I would say: Don’t go there. Being a jerk isn’t worth it. It will damage your heart and soul. It will hurt, not help, your teams. It will lead more often to poverty than to riches. Instead, follow B.C. Forbes’ advice: Produce happiness.

Even the "nicest" leaders have to make decisions that hurt people's feelings---think hiring and firing, raises and promotions, pursuing and defending lawsuits, etc. But why aggravate a tough decision by being obnoxious about it?

So, unless you're a superstar who never has to worry about finding a job, remember to Be Nice to People on Your Way Up. You’ll Meet Them On Your Way Down.