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I don’t know if this is what you are looking for But I once had a boss that was aggressively condescending on a daily basis. Demeaning employees and saying things like “no wonder you can’t close, it sounds like you have marbles in your mouth” In an open office setting was disastrous for morale. He would fire people in front of the entire staff and would throw phones and/or swipe a stack of papers off of somebody’s desk if they weren’t doing a good enough job. This was in the early 00s, mind you, where it wasn’t quite boiler room but definitely .com caliber “leadership.” The thing was, numbers were amazing and only continued to get better. He would overstep personal boundaries like calling people on the phone at 5:30 in the morning or 1030 at night to yell or reiterate what somebody had done poorly. The company ended up getting acquired and he took over a CEO of the larger company, which immediately nosedived, performance-wise. To be completely transparent, it was not his fault – there was a dramatic shift in the market place due to more legislative oversight – but his humbling came rapidly. Within a span of about nine months, he was Caught cheating by his wife (leading to a divorce) dressed down by his 15-year-old daughter (who came to our office to yell at him for accusing her of having an abortion), followed by nights where he would literally sleep in his luxury SUV in the parking lot, walking in to the office with bed head as if everything was normal. He ended up breaking his hip, and upon his return to the company and the office, everything had changed. He was more sincere, more patient, and frankly, a weathered and even beaten man. I’m not sure if this is “winning out over an abusive boss“ but seeing his demise was in someway gratifying even though overall it was really a sad scenario. The thing was, he had some great tools to offer as far as management maxims and at times, motivational strategies. But that said, never thought I’d end up seeing that occur to a near tyrant.
Agree with MM1! This was a really nice read. Love the flow and rhythm. I almost forgot this was based on a true story.
Not that it “worked” in the sense that they changed their behavior, but at my last job, I did work up the nerve to stare at an abusive very senior employee and deadpan ask her questions about her choice of words and tone - both 1:1 and in front of her team.
Made me feel better, and my constant questioning derailed her train of thought which was quite satisfying. Plus it inspired other folks around the office to do the same, which actually landed her in HR a few times.
I left before I could see it happen, but she was fired.
This is awesome. Although I fear she’d end my contract on the spot and I have to hand onto this role until I have something else. I’m going to start repeating her and see if that helps.
kill with kindness and actually pray for them. and bring in new business. and humor
In what context do you mean won?
A 180 by the bullying boss.
Yeah! But it’s definitely rare and I still can’t believe it happened.
You should raise the issue to those that can do something about it, and if they don’t then maybe it’s best to go else where.
There’s not really a point in trying to outbeat the issue by yourself because as someone who works under this person 1) I’m sure it’s difficult and terrifying and 2) it’s just not your duty to do so, but it is your duty to bring it up to someone who can. For your own sake and others who may be bullied as well
See Steve Jobs autobiography
Tried and lost...I had to leave. Buuuuut, they were fired about 6 months later. So overall a win?
Here’s to that boss 🖕
I once wrote a landing page for a client and when it was done he said he never heard of me, didn't hire me, etc. Yet, this was the person I met with every time.
I googled him and found out he was a billionaire who often didn't pay his suppliers. I also found information on his son. I threatened to post what happened on social media and he ignored it. At first, I didn't post anything on Sm, then I said I was going to expose him and his son, also known for non-payment.
He said to come down and pick up my check. Surprisingly, he was very cordial and acted as if nothing happened.