Chapter 32. The Leader as Toxin Handler: Organizational Hero and Casualty
Peter J. Frost
Sandra Robinson
As a senior project manager at a public utility company, Michael had thrived in his job for nearly a decade. His team of 24 engineers worked quickly and effectively together and was often the source of creative ideas that helped the rest of the organization. All that changed, however, when the utility's board brought in a hard-charging CEO and made Michael one of his direct reports. "He walked all over people," Michael recalls. "He made fun of them; he intimidated them. He criticized work for no reason, and he changed his plans daily. Another project manager was hospitalized with ulcers and took early retirement. People throughout the organization ...
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