“The Tyranny of Toxic Managers: Applying Emotional

Intelligence to Deal with Difficult Personalities.”

Author: Roy Lubit

Presentation by: Jason Connor

Roy Lubit• M.D., Ph.D., Board Certified in

Forensic Psychiatry, Child Psychiatry, and Psychiatry and Neurology

• Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Behavior.

• Has wrote two books regarding toxic managers.

Key points

• Types of toxic co-workers, and how to deal with them

• Developing emotional intelligence

• Decoding work styles

What is a Toxic Manager?• Can be any co-worker

• Derail your work abilities

• If not handled properly they can tear down an entire organization.

Types of Toxic Co-Workers:Narcissistic Management

• “Legends in their own minds.”

• Need control

• Will not accept change

• Micromanagement!!!

How to Deal!

• Outshine them!!!

• Always document your work.

• Avoid new suggestions, let them think of ideas of their own and implement them.

Aggressive Management

• “Dog-eat-dog” mentality

• Can not relate to others

• Use intimidation

• “Hard Ass”

How to Deal!• Do not let them intimidate you

• Find out what upsets them.

• Be helpful when they need assistance.

• Vega and Comer suggest the best way to deal with bullying is to set up a company policy dealing specifically with the issue

Rigid Management

• “My way or the Highway.”

• Worry about making mistakes.

• Paranoid

• Not open to new ideas

How to Deal!

• Avoid arguing

• There is better and easier ways of doing things

• Explain how your ideas can help them, and fit into their plans.

Impaired Management

• ADHD

• Deppresion

• Drug problem

• Burnout

How to Deal!

• Dr. Lubit states the only way to deal with an Impaired manager is to get treatment.

Have you seen or worked with somebody with some of these

Traits?

My experience

• Not all toxic managers have these individual traits.

• Many have certain characteristics of each, but some are completely dominant in one category.

• I think most common is the Narcissistic trait.

• “Narcissistic Self-esteem Management” is an article that performed an empirical study that supports what Dr. Lubit is discussing, and broadens his theories.

• “The results of this study suggest that narcissistic persons are aggressive and domineering” meaning most toxic managers have common traits, and sometimes a combination of them all.

Combined Traits

Emotional Intelligence

• “The better you understand how other people view the world and what motivates them, the better you will be able to influence their behavior”.

Emotional Intelligence

• He breaks it down into two categories– Personal competence

– Social competence

Personal Competence

• Your ability to understand your strengths and weaknesses, and your ability to manage them accordingly.

• Realizing how your emotions, and actions effect others in your work environment.

Social Competence

• Social competence involves ones social awareness and relationship management.

• You must know how to motivate and persuade your co-workers.

• Respect the ideas of other individuals.

Decoding Work Styles

• Everybody is different

• Relate the job to the individuals personality

– You wouldn’t want to hire an introvert personality for a sales manager position

Work Styles Model

• Introverts• Detail-oriented• Task-oriented• Emotional Intelligence• Planners• Self-centered• Conservative• Initiative • Conscientous

• Extroverts• Big picture• People-oriented• Limited Social Skills• Spontaneous• Group-oriented• Imaginative• Followers • Unreliable

How can you figure out what kind of work style a potential

candidate might possess?

Future Trends

• Questionnaires/surveys

• Tougher interview process

• Spend more time in training

Conclusion

• “Some are toxic most of the time; most are toxic some of the time” {Dr. Lubit}.

• Knowing how to deal with toxic managers is what sets a good manager aside from a great manager.

Discussion!

References

• Lubit, R. (2004). The tyranny of toxic managers: Applying emotional intelligence to deal with difficult personalities. Ivey Business Journal Online, 68(4).

• Raskin, R., Navacek, J., & Hogan, R. (1991). Narcissistic self-esteem management. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(6), 911-918.

• Vega, G., & Comer, D. (2005). Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can break your spirit: Bullying in the workplace. Journal of Business Ethics, (58), 101-109.