Phil Spector was a very successful music producer and songwriter, who was also convicted of murder and serving a long sentence when he died in prison.
Talented people can be bad people.
Talented bad people can also do good things.
Phil Spector produced the famous Ike and Tina Turner song “River Deep – Mountain High.” He knew how controlling Ike was, so he created a unique contract for this work, paying Ike Turner $20,000 to stay away while giving credit to both Ike and Tina Turner. That seems like a talented bad person doing a good thing.
We all know the story of Ike repeatedly beating Tina, until she escaped one night with no money and no where to go. Working long and hard at low-end jobs to keep herself and her children fed, she knew that she was a really good singer. Still under contract with United Artists she released solo albums, none of which succeeded.
The UAR contract ended; she signed with EMI in the early 1980’s, and as they say, the rest is history.
It is easy to be impressed by talent, even when that talent is covering significant character flaws, ergo Ike Turner and Phil Spector.
It is easy to overlook world-changing talent when it pushes a mop bucket, like Tina Turner.
How much talent do you reject because it doesn’t look like the talent you normally hire? How much talent do you keep, despite toxicity, because it can hit the high notes?
We all know, whether we like it or not, that culture eats strategy for breakfast.
So why do we live with toxic workers? Not one of them anywhere in any role for any organization is worth it. Many of us choose to be optimistic, hoping that the person will improve.
How long is enough? One day? One month? One year?
Every minute you accept toxicity as acceptable behavior you are driving away everything that is good about your organization. No level of skill can outweigh that.
Your organization may be filled with Tina Turners looking to escape because of the Ike Turner or Phil Spector you choose to retain.
What’s love got to do with it?
Podcast: Download