Bad Boss

Preface

Fictionalised in movies, but all too real in offices, factories and worksites around the world, we've all worked for one — the bad boss.

They're disorganised or dysfunctional or they can't control their temper. They steal your ideas and rarely if ever acknowledge or appreciate your efforts. Worse still are the bullies who intimidate you and generally make your working life hell.

From Gordon Gecko in Wall Street to Mr Burns in The Simpsons, a bad boss story makes for good drama and even comedy, but in life it's no fun. It can be downright miserable. You probably remember The Devil Wears Prada, in which the main protagonist and horrible boss Miranda Priestly, immortalised on the silver screen by Meryl Streep, torments her long-suffering assistant Andy, played by Anne Hathaway. This story (like so many movies) began life as a book, and at the time I read it, it all felt a little too close to home, because I felt like I was working for a male version of Miranda Priestly, and it was taking a toll on my wellbeing.

A bad boss makes you dread going to work, impacts your self-esteem and, over time, affects your mental health.

Oddly, though, I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't gone through that turbulence. I was fortunate because I had supportive people around me who helped me navigate my way through.

In the end, the role was pivotal in shaping and elevating my career choices. (And it now provides great content and lessons for a book like this!)

Confessions of a bad boss ...