The Brilliant Jerk Conundrum

With a strong leader at the helm, what can possibly go wrong?

Betting on a dominant visionary is one of the biggest business gambles an investor, employee, or board member will ever make. If things go right, a visionary’s wizardry changes entire industries and generates massive value for shareholders, employees, and society. But if things go wrong, millions (possibly billions) of dollars are lost—and sometimes people go to jail. The challenge for investors, employees, and board members is knowing the difference between an inspired visionary such as Steve Jobs, a firebrand entrepreneur like Elon Musk, and an idealistic time bomb like Elizabeth Holmes and if, when, and how to intervene.

Rob Shelton and Marc J. Epstein have gathered the cautionary tales and the wisdom of board directors and executives who have dealt with dominant visionaries to deliver a prescription for success. With this guide you'll be able to identify what kind of visionary you have and develop successful tactics to govern and thrive with the brainiest and the jerkiest of them all.