LEADERSHIP INSIGHT: DEALING WITH MISBEHAVING TOP PERFORMERS. Managers prove themselves to be leaders when they do what is right even when it costs more than they want to pay because they understand that the cost of losing credibility and moral authority outweighs the benefits of expedient compromise.

Just as the best athletes on a team often expect and get special treatment when it comes to violating the rules or ethical norms, top performers in the business world often believe their productivity will shield them from discipline for such things as expense reporting fraud and sexual harassment. Sometimes, the”golden boys or girls” simply act like jerks at the …