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Do You Hate Your Boss?

By Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Stacey really loved her job at a top tech company—that is, until her boss left for another firm. The new manager, Peter, seemed to dislike pretty much everyone on the team he had inherited, regardless of individual or collective performance. He was aloof, prone to micromanaging, and apt to write off any project that wasn’t his brainchild. Within a year he had replaced a number of Stacey’s colleagues.

At first Stacey (whose name, like others in this article, has been changed to protect her confidentiality) tried to win her new boss’s trust and respect by asking for his feedback and guidance. But Peter was unresponsive. Despite her best efforts, Stacey couldn’t make the relationship click. ...

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