Summary of Thomas Erikson's Surrounded by Bad Bosses (And Lazy Employees)

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

#1 The world is full of bad bosses. Team leaders, group leaders, departmental managers, unit managers, deputy managing directors, and managing directors. Some are far too nice, and some are just plain mean.

#2 The four colors of the DISC model are Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. They represent how a person functions and communicates. A person is rarely just one color, but most often has elements of two or even three.

#3 The DISC model cannot explain everything about an individual’s behavior. There are other models that seek to explain behavior, but I use this one as a starting point because it is pedagogically simple to grasp.

#4 The art of leadership is not easy to master. There are many bosses who are ineffective, and it’s a good idea to learn to recognize these patterns.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669382034

IRB Media

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Insights on Thomas Erikson's Surrounded by Bad Bosses (And Lazy Employees)

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The world is full of bad bosses. Team leaders, group leaders, departmental managers, unit managers, deputy managing directors, and managing directors. Some are far too nice, and some are just plain mean.

#2

The four colors of the DISC model are Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. They represent how a person functions and communicates. A person is rarely just one color, but most often has elements of two or even three.

#3

The DISC model cannot explain everything about an individual’s behavior. There are other models that seek to explain behavior, but I use this one as a starting point because it is pedagogically simple to grasp.

#4

The art of leadership is not easy to master. There are many bosses who are ineffective, and it’s a good idea to learn to recognize these patterns.

#5

I’ve never been able to keep quiet. As a young man, I thought authority figures were a pain. I’ve often wondered how my boss thinks and functions. Because I don’t know what they’re doing.

#6

Good leadership is dependent on the boss and the staff understanding the symbiosis they are working in, and both parties realizing that they are dependent on each other to get the system to work.

#7

Being a boss can be confusing, and it is important to be accessible if you get a managerial position. It is also important to take responsibility for your own mistakes, no matter what.

#8

It is easy to be arrogant when you are a boss. You know how the story usually goes. The author of the management book tells a complicated story about some disastrous episode, which ends with them saving the situation through their incredible ability and brilliant talent.

#9

I had no structure or plan, and I was constantly on the move. I was familiar with the bank’s business after a few years in the branch, so I thought I could handle some clients. But I had no idea how to organize my days. I simply ran around and grabbed whatever obstructs my progress.

#10

I was a terrible boss. I rarely went to my own boss for help, and when I did, I kept silent. My team eventually complained about me, thinking that I didn’t understand their situation.

#11

I was hired to be the CEO of a company, but after almost a year in my position, I realized that the game was over. I went to the boss of my boss and asked to be removed from the job. I gave the staff a potted plant and said that they had taught me a lot more than I had taught them.

#12

It is difficult to be a boss. You must constantly ask for help, and it isn’t a sign of weakness if you don’t know what you should do. But above all, what you must understand is that leadership is an art.

#13

There are no courses on leadership in school or college, and the subject is rarely mentioned in business courses. Leadership is instead taught by consultants who try to educate people on the skills needed for leadership.

#14

The problem with many leadership training programs is that they are set up to make the bosses feel good about themselves. But when there is a crisis, people go back to doing things the way they’ve always done