Remembering all my old toxic bosses
By Nick Jacobs
Dr. Travis Bradberry, author of the book, “Emotional Intelligence Habits,” wrote an article titled “Toxic Bosses” that hit me like a Taser. It reminded me of all my former toxic bosses. Until I got into health care administration, I’d only experienced one or two of these amazing, life-stomping, Sons of Anarchy. Health care administration was the least healthy place I ever worked.
Bradberry listed several factors that describe these toxic individuals. In his article, he revealed that 69% of U.S. workers compared bosses with too much power to toddlers. He also said that working for a bad boss increases your chance of having a heart attack by as much as 50%.
As an elder of the tribe with seven stents and an artificial heart valve, I could almost tell you which boss caused each stent. Had I not been in the health care industry, those chest pains might have been ignored or denied back in 1997, and my 50th birthday might easily have been my last. So, I guess there is that.
Some of the types of toxic bosses Bradberry wrote about included: the tyrant, the micromanager, the incompetent, the seagull, and the visionary. What was it that these human beings did or did not get? Were they simply a product of their environment? Did they have toxic bosses and simply imitate them?
Here’s a sample of the descriptions: “The tyrant resorts to Machiavellian tactics and constantly makes decisions that feed his ego.” True to form, Bradberry describes the tyrant’s main concern in maintaining power. “He will coerce and intimidate others to do so.” If any of this sounds familiar, you should read this next statement: “High achievers who challenge his thinking are treated as mutinous.” Oh, and if his employees are supportive and loyal to the tyrant, they are treated like royalty — until they are thrown under the proverbial bus, too. Pay the tyrant a compliment, and you’re golden.
The seagull description cracked me up because I’ve used it several times. The author’s description was colorful as he wrote, “Instead of taking the time to get the facts straight and work alongside the team to realize a viable solution, the seagull deposits steaming piles of formulaic advice and then abruptly takes off, leaving everyone behind to clean up the mess.” My description is flies in, squawks, poops on your head, and flies out. This type of manager not only frustrates but also alienates the ones who need him most.
Another type of toxic boss that stirred my memory is that of the micromanager. If you know what you’re doing, do it well, and do it effectively, the micromanager kills your spirit and makes her employees feel discouraged, frustrated, and uncomfortable.
What about the incompetent? Most of us have heard of the Peter Principle, where managers keep getting promoted until they reach the level of complete incompetence. Sometimes this happens due to politics, and sometimes it happens because a bully wants to recognize someone loyal but not ready for prime time. If you know more than the boss, have been at the job longer, and don’t want that position, it helps to take an incompetent under your wing and share information and insights that will allow them to grow into their job. Sometimes.
Last but not least, is the one I identified with most, the visionary. We are innovative and filled with fertile ideas, but we can be challenged when a plan needs implementation. That’s why we try to hire detail people who are like the characters who follow Pigpen around in the “Peanuts” comic strips, to clean up the mess and get ideas implemented.
And so, here’s to you P, M, S, and Tim. I’m glad I won’t work for you ever again. And I’d be remiss if I left out ol’ Rich. You shot and you missed, you big son of a . . . gun.
Nick Jacobs is a Windber resident.