34. Bad Bosses and How to Defeat Them, Part 1

Burnout has become the quiet epidemic of modern work. We tell people to “set better boundaries” or “take more time off,” but the real problem isn’t a lack of self-care—it’s that most organizations are designed to exhaust their people. Fear-based cultures, unclear priorities, and performative busyness have turned overwork into a badge of honor, leaving even the most capable teams running on fumes. In this episode, Rodney and Sam unpack the systemic roots of burnout and why it thrives inside traditional hierarchies. They explore how teams accidentally reinforce it, how leaders unknowingly reward it, and share real steps to change the system instead of blaming individuals. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠Let's talk.⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: "77% of professionals feel burned out" Prisoner's dilemma Theory Y "American teen experiences as much anxiety as 1950s psych patient" "job market hellscape article" Herbert Freudenberger and 12 stages of burnout "4 day workweek better human outcomes" 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’a silly or inconsequential project to you’ve done just for fun? 03:23 The Pattern: Systemic burnout keeps being met with individual solves, which leads to more burnout 08:21 Team burnout red flag 1: Overhelptfulness 11:10 Team burnout red flag 2: Defeatism 14:04 Team burnout red flag 3: Procrastination 16:44 Team burnout red flag 4: Overwork on busywork 20:41 Team burnout red flag 5: Impatience 23:35 Burnout is tied to short-termism and fear 27:30 Bureaucracy and gaslighting 29:10 Idea 1: Combat busyness with an outcome audit 32:49 Idea 2: Clarify ways of working to cut through bureaucracy 34:29 Idea 3: Design defaults and rules that reduce systemic burnout 36:14 Idea 4: Learn your own burnout symptoms to steer the ship before you reach critical mass 42:00 Idea 5: Enforce work-in-product limits for your team 45:55 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with your colleagues Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

What happens when your promotion puts you in charge of your former boss? In this mini Ask Us Anything episode of At Work with The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin answer a listener’s question about one of the trickiest transitions a leader can face—managing the people who used to manage you. They explore how to navigate power shifts, handle ego and shame dynamics, and reset team expectations without alienating anyone. Along the way, they share practical advice for rebuilding trust, holding clear boundaries, and making tough calls when improvement just isn’t happening. Got a work question like this one you'd like us to answer? Email us at [email protected] -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theready.com/working-together⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every worker has a bad boss story—but why are they so common? In this two-part series, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin dig into the archetypes of dysfunctional leaders and the systems that keep them in power. Because bad bosses aren’t accidents—they’re often a predictable response to organizational pressures. In Part 2, they take on the Ghost—the slippery, conflict-avoiding boss who’s always hard to find when decisions need to be made—and the Self-Promoter, the credit-stealing leader who thrives on claiming other people’s work as their own. From the frustration of canceled one-on-ones to the demoralization of stolen ideas, Rodney and Sam unpack why these archetypes persist, what drives their behavior, and how you can protect yourself (and your team) without burning out. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk. Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Part 1 of Bad Boss conversation "Sam and Wilbur": DF Miniseries Ep. 6 check in round "antiwork subreddit" 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What is the phrase going on your tombstone? 03:37 Recap of part 1 04:46 Bad Boss 4: The Ghost 08:24 Dealing with The Ghost 10:52 Bad Boss 5: The Self-Promoter 11:49 Source of the credit-stealing behaviors 15:24 Dealing with The Self-Promoter 21:08 What all bad bosses have in common 23:26 Self-preservation is always a valid strategy 25:56 Wrap up: leave us a review and send us your bad boss stories! Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We’re trying something new: mini Ask Us Anything episodes! Instead of waiting for our quarterly Q&A roundups, we’ll drop shorter conversations into your feed every other week where Rodney and Sam tackle one great listener question at a time. This week’s question: How should OD and change consultants handle unfavorable peer feedback in 360 reviews—especially when it’s happening among the leaders just under the CEO? They explore why peer feedback so often turns into power struggles, how incentive structures fuel a “Hunger Games” mentality, and why leaders must shift from interpersonal drama to organizational design. Got a work question like this one you'd like us to answer? Email us at [email protected] -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theready.com/working-together⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Patrick Lencioni and "First Team" The Ready's OS Canvas Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every worker has a bad boss story—but why are they so common? In this two-parter, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin dig into the archetypes of dysfunctional leaders and the systems that keep them in power. Because bad bosses aren’t accidents—they’re often a predictable response to organizational pressures. In Part 1, they take on the Micromanager, the Rager, and the Martyr. From obsessive control and volcanic tempers to bosses who never log off, these archetypes reveal the deeper fears and systemic incentives driving destructive behavior. Along the way, Rodney and Sam share strategies for surviving each type, plus insights for executives who may be unknowingly creating the conditions for bad bosses to thrive. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? Let's talk: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theready.com/working-together⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Paris Geller as the boss, The Gilmore Girls Yzme, The Emperor's New Groove 00:00 Intro + Check-In: Who’s your favorite bad boss from TV or movies? 02:38 The Pattern: Bad bosses are the product of the system that promoted them 04:30 Bad Boss 1: The Micromanager 06:52 Micromanagers stamp out innovation and emergent ideas 10:11 The source of micromanagement behavior 11:25 Dealing with The Micromanager 14:17 Bad Boss 2: The Rager 15:50 Rage is used to mask vulnerability 19:04 Dealing with The Rager 22:13 The source of ragers and the orgs that enable them 25:27 Bad Boss 3: The Martyr 30:24 Dealing with The Martyr 32:33 Being the boss to The Martyr 34:19 Time of The Martyr is ending 36:05 Wrap up: More bad bosses next time! Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Producer Note: Hey there! We’re on vacation this week, but we didn’t want to leave your feed empty. Some of our most popular conversations this past year have been about the Midnight Zone and that’s why we’re sharing this fantastic episode from our friends over at Fixable. We hope it gives you some fresh strategies for navigating (and even embracing!) conflict in your organization, and we’ll see you next time. ------------------------- Most of us try to avoid conflict, particularly at work. But when done right, conflict can be a tool to strengthen interpersonal bonds and generate better results. In this episode, Anne and Frances team up with Amanda Ripley, global conflict journalist and author of the bestselling book High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out. They tackle the missteps teams often make when it comes to handling conflict and provide actionable alternatives to foster healthy conflict habits in any organization. Follow Hosts: Anne Morriss (@annemorriss | LinkedIn: @anne-morriss), Frances Frei (@francesxfrei | LinkedIn: @francesfrei) Guest: Amanda Ripley (Instagram: @ripleywriter | Website: amandaripley.com/) Links https://anneandfrances.com/High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out This episode originally aired on June 15, 2025.

Most of us think we know ourselves (and the people we work with) pretty well. But when tensions rise, deadlines loom, or feedback lands wrong, the truth comes out: we’re all running on a set of deep, often invisible patterns. What if we could see those patterns clearly, and choose something better? Enter the Enneagram: a framework that maps nine core motivations, survival strategies, and ways of seeing the world. This week, Rodney sits down with Liz Orr, author of The Unfiltered Enneagram and the voice behind Rude Ass Enneagram, to explore how this tool can help us understand ourselves, our teammates, and the hidden drivers behind workplace friction. From recognizing your own “midnight zone” work to navigating type-to-type dynamics, Liz shares practical insights for breaking unhelpful patterns, building trust, and working more compassionately with others. Learn more about Liz: On Instagram: @rudeassenneagram Read her book: The Unfiltered Enneagram -------------------------------- Let's work together: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theready.com/working-together⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Midnight Zone and Depthfinding Myers-Briggs DISC assessment Enneagram Type descriptions Enneagram Type combinations "the hero's journey" 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What would you be doing if it wasn’t this? 03:30 What is the Enneagram? 06:26 101 course on the Nine Types of the Enneagram 14:04 When your Type solidifies 15:15 Exploring Rodney’s Type as an example 20:44 How Types interact 23:19 Using the Enneagram to recognize and break your own patterns 26:54 Eights as leaders (CEOs, CFOs) tend to fight every battle 29:54 Debunking cultural gender stereotypes around the Enneagram 34:21 Understanding what we’re “getting” in return for our behavior 37:22 Navigating the cringe of self-compassion and forgiveness 44:59 Dealing with “therapy language performance” from friends and coworkers 48:03 The Enneagram’s role in the workplace 50:21 Overcoming the dismissal of “soft skills” and “soft power 52:50 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with your coworkers! Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In most companies, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is treated like a finish line. But the truth is, signing the deal is just the start—and if you haven’t thought deeply about how two operating systems, cultures, and teams will actually work together, you’re already behind. The vast majority of M&A efforts fail to deliver long-term value, not because the deal was bad, but because the integration never really happened. This week, Rodney and Sam unpack why M&A is so alluring, so broken, and so often misunderstood. From boardroom incentives and CEO ego to missing strategy and magical thinking, they dig into what really drives the endless appetite for acquisition—and why the actual design work of merging two organizations is almost always underfunded, under-led, or completely ignored. -------------------------------- Let's work together: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theready.com/working-together⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: "reorg ep": AWWTR Ep. 31 "70-75% of M&A fails" Ben Thompson and Stratechery AOL/Time Warner merger Microsoft/Nokia merger "LARPing" "OS work": The Ready's OS Canvas "Midnight Zone and Twilight Zone": The Ready's Depthfinding ecotones "Microsoft innovation" Rob Cross and Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) McChrystal Group mission-based team (MBT): FoHR Miniseries, Episode 1 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What is something you’ve done recently that seemed like a good idea but has since proven otherwise? 04:01 The Pattern: Companies acquire others for growth, merge goes bad, so have to acquire another 09:54 Big visible activities with very unclear ROI 14:09 Buying innovation because you can’t innovate internally 19:15 Destroying all the qualities that made the target company valuable 24:34 Mergers and acquisitions buy CEOs longer tenures 28:19 Our culture celebrates the big swings, not the steady transformation 30:35 Executive attention vanishes once the deal is signed, but that’s when the real work starts 38:43 Idea #1 - Let acquired company operate independently for as long as possible 41:35 Idea #2 - Use organizational network analysis to find and utilize your leverage points 44:14 Idea #3 - Spin up a real mission-based team around integration, or due diligence 46:18 Idea #4 - During due diligence, look at more than just the financial spreadsheets 47:08 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with a friend! Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

It’s reorg season…again. And for many companies, it always is. Every 12 to 18 months, another wave of layoffs, leadership swaps, and org chart redraws rolls through the system. And yet, little changes. Strategy stalls. Trust erodes. Work doesn’t get better, just messier. So why do so many organizations keep reaching for the reorg lever first? This week, Rodney and Sam unpack the seductive logic (and systemic failure) of reorgs as a change strategy. They dig into why structure work always feels like the fastest, most visible move a leader can make and why it so rarely delivers. Along the way, they explore the very real fallout of these moves on culture, trust, and performance, and offer smarter starting points for those considering a shake-up. -------------------------------- Let's work together: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theready.com/working-together⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: The Ready's OS Canvas "16% of reorgs deliver the expected value" Sunshine, Twilight, and Midnight Zones: The Ready's Depthfinding "layoffs episode": Brave New Work Ep. 152 Team Topologies, 2019 book by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais holacracy sociocracy "retention increase if you have a best friend at work" "new job is one of the most stressful life events": Holmes and Rahe stress scale, see combined score of “dismissal from work”, “change to different line of work”, and “Change in responsibilities at work” DAO Miniseries "Jeff Williams departure" "value flow mapping" Haier and micro-enterprises 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What feature is really important in your living space? 03:27 The Pattern: Orgs trapped in a cycle of endless reorgs 05:15 The fastest, most visible sign of change a CEO can show to a board or investors 09:55 Structure work should always come last, but most people do it first 12:22 Reorgs to hit a number come at the expense of workflow, culture, and strategy 19:07 Stop changing the structure without touching the ways of working 22:19 Fundamental components of structure work 25:14 How The Ready approached it’s own reorg 26:34 Fallout of bad reorgs on your team and culture 31:17 Companies underestimate the stress of reorgs on individuals 34:40 Hot takes: org structure in the age of AI; legal OS around restructuring 38:15 Idea 1: Use reorgs to recalibrate roles back to defaults 39:42 Idea 2: Value flow map your company before considering a standard reorg 42:53 Idea 3: Test new structure in parts of phases, not everything all at once 44:30 Idea 4: Accept that some centralization is required 47:50 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with your coworkers! Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The extended leadership team (those just below the C-suite) often finds itself stuck between translating strategy and triaging dysfunction. They’re tasked with cross-functional execution, but are rarely equipped, empowered, or aligned to pull it off. And in most organizations, this group is caught in a cycle of managing up, managing down, and managing chaos all around—with very little time or clarity left to lead. This week, Rodney and Sam take a closer look at what’s really going on with extended leadership teams, why they matter so much, and what gets in their way. From power dynamics and peer competition to vertical incentives and missing cross-functional glue, they pull apart the system that makes this group so hard to organize—and so critical to transformation. They also share field-tested tactics that can turn this underutilized layer into an OS-upgrading powerhouse. -------------------------------- Let's work together: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.theready.com/working-together⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Fruit Roll-Ups leadership teams org design ep: AWWTR Ep. 13 Sunshine Zone: Depthfinding Ep. 3 Basecamp (aka 37signals) and managers Haier and managers Twilight Zone: Depthfinding Ep. 4 mission-based teams (MBTs): FoHR Ep. 1 Jason Fried & "company as the product" 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What is one of your favorite low tech work hacks? 02:53 The Pattern: The extended leadership team is trapped between strategy and execution 05:17 The C-suite’s peace comes at the expense of chaos in the extended leadership team 09:04 Silos and competition between departments 12:52 Functions don’t truly understand what other functions contribute 15:40 The true work of the extended leadership team 21:40 External pressure on GenX and Millenial leaders reinforces the status quo 27:56 Idea 1: Identify shared purpose of your extended leadership team 30:45 Idea 2: Top missions for cross-functional leadership teams 35:21 Idea 3: Chartering a leadership team “role” for shared participation and ownership 37:52 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with your colleagues Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.