Last week, I heard the pitiful story of someone I know. For anonymity’s sake, let’s call her Grace. I knew Grace from our university days as an intelligent and ambitious woman who would put her all into making sure anything she was involved in was a success.
With a GPA of 4.3, you’d imagine that every company would be super grateful to have her in their team. But Grace’s story depicts grace to grass. The once willful and ambitious lady we all wished to be like in university is now a shadow of herself because she fell into the hands of a toxic and manipulative boss.
One who will stop at nothing to embarrass her before colleagues and other superiors. One who will constantly steal her ideas, refurbish them, and claim ownership, silently daring Grace to do her worst. The situation is, in fact, more terrible than I can explain here.
Unfortunately, that’s the story of many employees today. And guess what – we hardly know we’re employed by a toxic boss who has manipulated us into cowardice until we’re out of such employment.
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In my years of experience as a life coach, I’ve heard enough stories to know how damaging working with a toxic boss can be. Thus, I’ve taken it upon myself to help open the eyes of as many people as I can to the predicament they probably don’t know they’re passing through.
Here are the early warning signs that show a toxic boss employs you. Pick up your bags and run away if you begin to notice any of these signs.
Lack of empathy
Toxic bosses often have this characteristic. They never want to invest time or energy into seeing or understanding how their actions impact others around them. They also struggle to share others’ feelings, thus constantly struggling to relate to the challenges or perspectives of other team members.
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They’re controlled by pursuit of self-interest
It’s often not hard to identify toxic bosses when you look at their motivation for doing anything. They make everything about themselves, taking the glory for even tasks they didn’t contribute to. This attitude makes them prioritise risky, attention-grabbing moves that will make them shine over decisions that benefit the organisation in the long run.
They leverage power dynamics
There’s nothing wrong with being a boss. In fact, it’s every employee’s dream to work their way up the organisational hierarchy. However, a problem arises when a boss chooses to weaponize their authority in such a way that they force subordinates to do their bidding without questioning the value of the task being taken.
They belittle and demoralise
This one is pretty clear—if a boss constantly jokes at the expense of your self-esteem, run for your life. It’s their stealthy way of bringing you under control. They’ll constantly belittle you with their words until you feel less about yourself and are subjected to them.
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They overestimate their knowledge
Toxic bosses always believe themselves to be better than everyone else on the job. Thus, they hardly give room for feedback or correction. If a boss constantly belittles your idea, making you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, they’re toxic.
Remember, the longer you stay in such organisations, the harder it’ll become to recognize their toxicity. So, the earlier you start looking out for signs, the better. Run now, while you still can, to avoid becoming like my acquaintance, Grace.
