DICKS: Do you need to be one to be a successful leader?
What it is
Filmmaker Max Joseph's 35-minute video essay asks whether you have to be a jerk to be a successful leader. It draws on Adam Grant's givers and takers, Robert Greene and famous demanding directors.
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN recommends it as a thoughtful critique of the great-leader-as-jerk myth in threads on difficult bosses.
- 3 people recommended it
- 3 different months
- 1 strong recommendations
- first 2018, last 2020
What HN commenters said
“here's the best video I've found that breaks apart the idea of an "asshole"”
Best breakdown of the asshole idea via givers and takers
whitepoplar, 2018-10 · Strong recommendation · in “What I Learned from Having Steve Jobs Swear at Me”
“This 30 minute Youtube documentary on the topic is very interesting”
Documentary on whether great leaders must be jerks
azhenley, 2019-04 · Recommendation · in “Career advice I wish I’d been given when I was young”
“Here's a good video essay on the same subject by a filmmaker, Max Joseph”
Video essay on the great-leader-as-jerk meme
ak39, 2020-05 · Recommendation · in “The Great Asshole Fallacy”
Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.
Topics: leadership, givers and takers, management, video essay, workplace
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