As a manager, I’ve had some success in such situations by demonstrating to the brilliant jerk that I’m at least as brilliant as him. This does not have to be sp

As a manager, I’ve had some success in such situations by demonstrating to the brilliant jerk that I’m at least as brilliant as him. This does not have to be specifically in his area of expertise, but it has to be on a topic he will respect (e.g. architecture, project management, team leadership). This step is crucial, as the BJ will only look up to (perceived) brilliance. (Plain jerks will defer to authority but the brilliant ones usually briddle at incompetence and perceive shows of authority as weakness). This is basically signaling that you’re the alpha male, for the BJ’s definition of alpha. From that position of power, you can then lead by example and demonstrate to the BJ that acting like a decent human being delivers better results than being a douche. If they’re intelligent enough they’ll see how it can serve their own interests and amend their ways. If they’re not intelligent enough... well then it’s time to make them understand that no one is indispensable. Note: it’s usually a good idea to let your own manager know of the situation and get their approval before attempting anything (to defuse any “going over the manager” gambit).