Six telltale signs of a toxic boss

Uber has been plagued with scandals that led to CEO Travis Kalanick s forced

resignation. Here s what you can learn from the fallout and how to spot

toxicity in your own workplace.

By Bryan Lufkin

21 June 2017

Uber has trailblazed the ride-sharing industry, spread to 662 cities worldwide

and has made a billionaire out of founder Travis Kalanick.

But all that Silicon Valley-style disruption which has turned public

transport on its head around the globe hasn t safeguarded the company from

immense turmoil. Because today, at the pressure of investors, Kalanick resigned

as CEO.

His dramatic departure follows months of scandals about sexual harassment,

macho culture and the departure of senior executives, and is a snapshot of one

of the most stunning CEO roller-coaster stories in modern business history.

Uber s name has now become synonymous with many of the hallmarks of toxic work

culture

Unfortunately for the $70bn California company, its name has now become

synonymous with many of the hallmarks of toxic work culture: HR fiascos,

ignoring employee benefits, and an arrogant bro culture that perpetuates

sexism and reckless decision-making in the tech industry.

But these scandals are far from limited to Uber. The red flags of toxic work

culture are all too common across all industries.

Here are some of the classic signs you should look out for and what you

should do if your company resembles a certain former start-up with a

German-sounding name.

A boss who yells, bullies, or antagonises. This is different to tough love or

the rough personality of a no-nonsense manager. A bully boss one who

manipulates and humiliates their staff undermines stability and trust

throughout the workplace. Before going over your boss s head, though, consult

with your colleagues to see if they feel the same way if the team is unified,

there may be ways to solve the problem as a group.

A success at all costs philosophy. If the boss s management style is

no-holds-barred as Kalanick s was be wary. While a slash-and-burn method

may lead to meteoric results as it did with Uber it can lead to rapid,

Icarus-like fall, too. Better to get out quick before the plunge.

Unfair treatment of workers. Nothing cultivates a toxic work environment more

than withholding basic employee rights. Uber faced multiple legal blowbacks

following claims that it failed to give its drivers minimum wage or paid

holiday.

Your boss is a control freak. Or worse, he or she pushes out other top

executives at your company, as was the case with Dov Charney, former CEO of

American Apparel. Entrepreneurs who never give up any control, or fail to

bring in professional managers, tend to blow up at some point, Sydney

Finkelstein wrote. Hubris never wins.

Absent management. If your manager barely interacts with you or isn t even in

the office a lot to begin with this will definitely be a roadblock to your

success. JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson barely tried to connect with rank-and-file

employees, who found his regular video broadcasts more self-promotional than

motivational (for instance, Ron Johnson s 50th day at JC Penney), especially

when they were taped at his Palo Alto home.

Bad press. If your company is high-profile enough to be covered in the news

during its more challenging moments, ask yourself: How much are you willing to

stick by the bad decisions being made? How much do you believe in the company s

mission? How long can you explain away bad management and constant turmoil? The

answer, in many cases, is probably not very long.

When push comes to shove, though, there are only so many tips you can employ or

stress you can endure. Remember, life s too short to endure a toxic workplace

if your company isn t a happy place to work, it may be time to start looking

for one that is.