Ep. 7: So your boss is toxic | Some Scuffs

Crazy unreasonable, or just downright crazy.

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We all know a supervisor, team leader or someone in a position of power who is abrasive, cruel or manipulative. It always troubled me that such people could conduct themselves this way without an ounce of remorse.

In this episode, my friend Amelia (not her actual name) tells her own harrowing tale of a classic toxic boss, and together we try to figure out why bosses engineer perverse ways to mess with your head, throw tantrums like toddlers, and treat their subordinates as subhuman.

Dr Joel Yang, a clinical psychologist who runs a private practice called Mind What Matters, joins the discussion and shares his insight. (It isn’t the answer you’re hoping to find.)

Sources:
1. Padilla, A., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2007). The toxic triangle: Destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(3), 176-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.03.001
2. Dr Mary Lamia’s article on internalised shame

Sound design by Lee Zhe Ren. Special thanks to Amelia and Dr Joel Yang for help with this story. You can find Joel and more resources from him at Mind what Matters.