When the "top performer" destroys trust and fails to rebuild it, they shouldn't be on the team*
Skimming over the context, Kent seems to be lying by omission in PRs and distorting the history behind the PRs. Plus fighting with what is basically his tech lead who represents the team's norms, culture, and health. I also think he's fighting in this comment section right now.
Speaking as a former "brilliant jerk", I wouldn't trust the memory or intentions of a brilliant jerk. I wouldn't want to be looking over my shoulder for back-stabbing on my own team. I also wouldn't want my manager to get stuck in "I can fix him" mode because they're afraid of doing their flipping job: firing an employee who refuses to learn from their mistakes.
* I'm sympathetic to contexts when the team itself is bad and the performer is actually doing better. In that case: forget their trust, the performer should either remake the team (become the manager) or leave to do better work.
When another Brilliant Jerk struck me down in my own little kingdom, using similar weapons & tactics. The Golden Rule is a Ruler that cuts both ways, turns out.
TL;DR I became a Christian. God broke my heart and opened my eyes. Like showing how my politics & diplomacy were tricks to escape from much-needed heartbreak. Much-needed for shifting my will from evil to good... or just giving me the will to leave a terrible but lucrative job.
Proverbs 26:11 and all that. I know I can be a jerk again, the difference is that the fear of God is in me now. A true blessing.
Skimming over the context, Kent seems to be lying by omission in PRs and distorting the history behind the PRs. Plus fighting with what is basically his tech lead who represents the team's norms, culture, and health. I also think he's fighting in this comment section right now.
Speaking as a former "brilliant jerk", I wouldn't trust the memory or intentions of a brilliant jerk. I wouldn't want to be looking over my shoulder for back-stabbing on my own team. I also wouldn't want my manager to get stuck in "I can fix him" mode because they're afraid of doing their flipping job: firing an employee who refuses to learn from their mistakes.
* I'm sympathetic to contexts when the team itself is bad and the performer is actually doing better. In that case: forget their trust, the performer should either remake the team (become the manager) or leave to do better work.