He was a machine
The best negotiator I had ever worked with
Mortgage appointments
Conveyancing referrals
Banking leads
Every target smashed
Every regional leaderboard topped
Always in the Top 3 nationally

I was running a key estate agency branch for a corporate
And yes, I earned well, very well, from his productivity
& I was top dog at the Area meetings for the office's perfomamce
And yet (and its a big yet) ....

I still remember the day I realised the truth
He was off for two weeks
And the office felt different
Lighter
Happier
The team were smiling
They were chatting
They were breathing

It hit me
His brilliance was slowly poisoning the team
Yes
He carried the office targets
But he was dragging the office culture through the mud

When he came back
The mood shifted instantly
Smiles faded
Shoulders tensed
Silence followed him like a shadow

Yes, he closed deals galore
But he also closed doors
To collaboration
To morale
To joy

I rang my Area Manager, for advice

The next time she visited the branch, we had a quiet chat in Costa

She said something I have never forgotten

"We talk about top performers like they are untouchable, but no one, and I mean no one, is bigger than the team"

That was the moment I learned a lesson I have carried ever since

Someone can be the best valuer
The best lister
The best neg in the country
But if people dread working with them
They are not a superstar
They are a bl**dy liability

Performance matters
But character decides whether the business grows or cracks

Want to know what happened next?