I have been telling people for years that companies are only as healthy as the people that work in them. I also like to tell people that the health of the company is directly related to the health of the leadership.
For example, if a CEO demonstrates low integrity, sarcasm, and lying, he will inspire very little positive energy and therefore positive work around him. Some of his reports will think it is ok for them to have questionable integrity, be sarcastic, and lie. Others may become distrustful, shy away from contributing for fear of being ridiculed or being skeptical of the information they receive since so much has been of questionable honesty in the past. The team is nothing short of dysfunctional.
Now, lets say the CEO is a solid executive and good leader, but one of his direct reports demonstrates the above behavior in his department. Well, that means that while all of the other departments are operating well, the department of the lying executive will be “sick”. That department will be like the one spark plug in an engine that is bad. The car will keep on going, but it doesn’t have full power.
It is important to recognize and address shortcomings like this, whether the behavior is in you or someone else. I worked for one such person many years ago. He knew he was terribly dysfunctional, and people often left because of it. To deal with it, he would over-compensate them, which works for awhile, but eventually everyone has their fill of the insanity.
I worked in another place where a lower level manager was so deceitful and demonstrated such questionable practices, that his entire department hated him. They lived in fear all of the time. He abused them mentally, emotionally and even sexually. He made rude comments to them all, but kissed his boss’s butt 24×7, until someone finally went to HR and turned him in for sexual harassment. He left in disgrace, but did a great deal of damage before he was found out.
Don’t take it from abusive bosses. Address it head on, or decide that you don’t want to work in an environment like that.
Hope this helps!
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