When the Worst People Teach the Best Lessons
Use what’s broken to show people what’s worth building.
If you examine any large organisation, and many small ones too, you’ll probably find the kind of manager people tell stories about for years. But not in a good way. The horrible, entitled, arrogant manager who poisons the culture and drives good people away is almost a workplace stereotype. And unfortunately, they’re all too real.
But there’s something useful about them.
For millennia, humans have told stories filled with antagonists – characters who serve as a warning, a foil, a lesson in what not to do. In modern workplaces, toxic managers perform much the same function. They provide contrast. They make positive leadership stand out more clearly. They highlight how important it is to do better.
More than that, these antagonists create unexpected alliances. A shared enemy can bring people together, even those who don’t normally see eye to eye. Common frustration with an ineffective or bullying manager can become a starting point for connection, understanding, and even collaboration. If that manager is the only thing you agree on, make the most of it. Bond over it. Let it be the spark for something better.
Yes, someone toxic can cause real damage. But they also present an opportunity.
In contrast to their dysfunction, you have the chance to show what a healthy workplace looks like. Use your team as a test case. Model good behaviour. Demonstrate empathy, respect, and clear communication. People will notice. And when they ask, “Why can’t it be like this everywhere?” … that’s your opening to help them ask a better question:
“What would it take to make it that way?”