The counterintuitive art of handling high-performing troublemakers without destroying your team’s trust

Every team has one: the ultra-brilliant coder, ace salesperson, or star athlete who racks up wins but leaves a trail of bruised egos and tension. At Intuit, a marketing manager recalls a software engineer whose output was legendary—but so were abrupt comments and missed collaborations. The company’s instinct might be to either idolize or eject him. Instead, the manager, coached by an experienced mentor, started keeping track: what critical projects did this engineer drive forward, and where did conflict appear? He realized that while some quirks were tolerable, repeated meetings derailed when disrespect or secrecy crept in.

Instead of shying away, the mentor urged a direct yet respectful talk. The manager named the behaviors—snapping at teammates, hoarding info—and contrasted them with the engineer’s essential contributions. He asked explicitly: 'Are you willing to work on these things?' Specific boundaries were set. For a while, tensions eased, and the payoff was more breakthrough work.

But three months later, hours spent managing fallout outweighed any new inventions. With measured regret, leadership realized the line that had been crossed: the health and collaboration of the group couldn’t be sacrificed for one person’s glory. As science notes, high-performing non-contributors can be tolerated only as long as their positives dramatically outweigh the negatives—and only if the aspects damaging trust are coachable. Non-negotiables, like respect and integrity, must stay sacrosanct.

When you spot a high-performing outlier causing friction, write down their unique value as well as specific behaviors causing harm to the group. Approach them privately, stay focused on the actions—not their personality—and ask directly about willingness to adapt. Make clear lines about what’s acceptable and what’s not (no attacks, keep integrity), then revisit and reflect regularly. If the balance falls too far toward damage, have the courage to choose team health over one superstar. Your group’s trust and cohesion will thank you.