Tame the star player without losing her spark

At a fast-growing ad agency, the star copywriter was a whirlwind of creativity—and strong emotions. He’d storm out of review sessions, clashing with designers, then deliver award-winning headlines days later. Morale dipped and turnover rose. The new CMO realized that the agency’s future hinged on channeling this talent without fracturing the team.

First, she mapped every high performer and coded their friction points. The copywriter’s passion was unmistakable, but so was the frustration it bred. She then set nonnegotiable ground rules: disagreements stay in the room; personal attacks are off the table. When the writer breached these rules, she scheduled a swift one-on-one. She began by praising his award nominations, reminding him of his value. Then she described specific incidents—how deadlines were missed when tempers flared—and invited him to suggest alternative approaches.

Over the next quarter, she tracked the time spent on these issues and noticed a steady drop. The writer took coaching seriously, choosing to lead shorter, more focused brainstorming sessions. The team resumed collaboration, and the very ideas that once threatened group cohesion now progressed smoothly to final copy. Agency output and client satisfaction climbed in tandem.

Managing “aberrant geniuses” is an art of balance: protect creativity while curbing its collateral damage. Studies show that star performers can elevate team output by up to 20 percent—but only when kept within healthy social boundaries. The CMO’s blend of clear expectations, private coaching, and data-driven monitoring proved that high flair need not mean high friction.

You notice the top performer sparking conflict? Pause and list how often tensions surface and the hours you spend cooling things down. Then meet her privately within two days—open by acknowledging her contributions, next detail the specific behaviors hurting team flow, and finally ask for her ideas to turn the tide. Track your time: if you’re spending more than a fifth of your leadership bandwidth, you’ll need to renegotiate her role. Give it a try this week.