Be Difficult

Hiring good people is a rule of being a good leader. Surrounding yourself with people who support you, is an attribute of living a fulfilled life. No assholes — is a slogan of utopian existence. So why, then, do I seek out difficult people?

Difficult people see the complexities of the World and remain uneasy rather than seeking over simplification. They point out mistakes, no matter how untimely or destructive. 

Difficult people question everything – they are the definition of skeptical. They are hard to please, hard to impress and hard to persuade.

Difficult people have often led difficult lives. Being neuroatypical has consequences. Difficult people find it difficult to make friends. They find it hard to fit in but even harder to stand out. But their inability to be easy has built empathy for other people struggling with being difficult.

But most of all I seek difficult people because they’re uniquely qualified to take on the most difficult problems and are happiest when sufficiently distracted by complexity that it brings. I should know.

Let’s be more difficult.