I’ve often wondered how people get to be the way they are.
What is the myriad of experiences that come together in each unique combination of cells to form the Kaleidoscope of someone’s life? Is it a culmination of random chances that drives this outcome, or do singular events weigh more heavily on how the clay is shaped within the sculptor’s hands?
The reason I pose this question is because I have come across a certain type of worker in corporate America that is the opposite of who I am – the power worshipper. Their behaviors baffle me and I’m trying to understand how a person with these views is created so to speak. Because unfortunately, the glamour of status and abuse of power is an all-too-common occurrence among the rank and file of meeting chasers, paper pushers and executive bootlickers.
Power and status affect your relationships and how you are treated. Period.
I’m almost positive, no matter how brief your career, you have come across these common characters as well. There are usually two distinct types that are two sides of the same coin.
There are those on the top, that lead the maniacal and self-delusional work-is-the-only-thing-in-life mantra doing everything in their power to make any semblance of happiness or balance extinct. And then there are those on the bottom – who worship those on the top – and will only acknowledge someone of power and status as a living and breathing human being.
For me personally, living a life based off these judgements is like speaking a foreign language. I don’t understand it at all.
I don’t know, maybe this is a deficiency of mine to care, you can set me straight in the comments below, but the way I was raised was based off the “Golden Rule,” you treat anyone and everyone how you yourself would like to be treated. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the janitor or the president of the company, you’re just a person trying to do a job. There’s a basic human decency that all people should be treated with no matter their rank or title.
However, we all know this is not the case in the real world. Power and status are addictive qualities that many pursue to the ends of the Earth without any shame or remorse.
And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with unbridled ambition, seeking excellence or pursuing achievement if they are done with kindness, dignity and respect. It’s when you go about it with a winner-takes-all-no-prisoners-left-standing mentality and start treating people like objects rather than equal life forms that have a family and life outside of quarterly profits, that I begin to have a problem.
Why is basic decency such a rare trait? Is empathy such a tall order to expect?
So back to my original question – why do people become so entangled and obsessed with rank and standing? Why is this the case? How do people get this way? Is this a societal issue? Were they damaged due to trauma at a young age? What is the allure in controlling people, telling them what to do, and treating them so poorly? Are people really this clueless of their actions? Or are people really just this fragile and insecure that they must abuse others to find their own self-worth?
Maybe? Maybe not?
I wish I had some answers, but I don’t.
The world is what it is. We all inhabit it together, yet the cruelty is as alive and real as a living and breathing thing searching out its next victims like a predator on the field.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen many different versions of these power junkies come in and out of my life. The similarity to real addicts is almost striking. They limp on from situation to situation, craving that next fix of status to keep them whole, while leaving a path of destruction and devastation in their wake. The farther they fall, the more they abuse and need to put people down in order to prop up that illusion of self-reaffirmation and worth. In the end, they are isolated and only surrounded by “yes” men and woman to keep the charade whole.
However, the only real difference between these power seekers and real addicts, is that the drug users will ultimately fall – keep at the addiction game long enough and there will be a bad ending.
Yet for the corporate abusers, there is no guarantee justice will ever be served.
Sometimes the nastiest offenders never fall. Sometimes the guilty stay free. Sometimes the bad inherit the Earth…
Haha. Yeah, I’m waxing way too poetic and philosophical there. But these fuckers really piss me off. However, let’s bring this musing back full circle.
In my life, there are three different examples of these utter gems of humanity that stick out to me.
#1 – The lowest on the totem pole that will only answer to the emperor himself.
The first was a secretary way back in my early corporate manager days.
I’m a firm believer that we all have both good and bad in us. Even the most benevolent person will have to have a mean streak at some point. But this woman was a piece of work.
She was that usual office liar and manipulator, that made it her personal prerogative to crush anything positive within the department. When I first transferred to this team, I did my initial routine of trying to kill her with kindness. After that went nowhere and I received zero support I moved it up the ladder. However, the VP in charge of her knew how crazy she was and used that trademark corporate solution of ignoring the problem until all parties were so frustrated, they retreat in surrender, and it goes away.
However, I had admin work that needed to get done. So I took action, got my own FedEx account, learned to become an expert on that copier and then outsourced the big projects to Kinko’s. After I got in trouble for spending money on printing services when we had a secretary (hahaha), I tried everything I could with her, but it still didn’t work.
Eventually I had to admit defeat when she fed me this treasure of a one-liner: “I can’t make the copies, I’m allergic to paper.” Hahaha. And trust me when I say, she wasn’t fucking with me, she was serious. She then went into some elaborate story that her doctor told her about her condition.
Priceless. A secretary allergic to paper. Never thought you’d hear that one, eh?
#2 – The middle manager dreaming of emperor stardom.
These creatures are an odd duck.
They have the literal belief, or more like delusion of grandeur that they should be running the company, while at the same time worshipping upper management like a sycophant. Then to top things off, they try to turn any form of normal task into a power play against anyone beneath them.
I’ll be honest, I have very little patience for these types. When you have almost no power yourself, but the middling inkling that you do have, you use to belittle those few below you – you’re one fucked up dude.
I have one of these guys in my department and I must constantly remind myself to be patient with him. He’ll refer to people by their salary grade title, try to overwork and boss-around interns, and always just be that lowly despicable employee on a power trip.
I try not to pity him, but I do. I can’t help it. It’s just so sad to watch.
And I don’t get it whatsoever. What is going on in his life that forces him to treat people this way? I’ve spent way too much time listening to this guy trying to figure it out but there’s nothing there as an explanation. He’s just one of those spoiled pricks, living a cushy life with a view of entitlement that he’s the smartest guy in the room and everyone else should worship him.
No rhyme or reason to it. I guess some people are just unfortunate this way.
#3 – The emperor has no clothes.
Our last up for today is the destroyer of cultures. This is the stick of dynamite that needs to be avoided at all costs.
I’ve dealt with a couple of these types already in my career and it’s amazing how many of them still exist and flourish in dinosaur companies.
You know the type, that president or top dog that rules by fear. He’s that one guy that has no business managing anyone, yet he gets promoted to the corner office.
Negativity and finger pointing replace any form of positivity and optimism. And it takes very little time for one of these “leaders” – I’m using quotes because you sure as fuck know I’m being sarcastic with the word, to destroy a company and slaughter a culture. Note the use of the word slaughter and not kill. Because that’s what they do. Kill is too nice of a word for these power savaging murderers.
So what’s so bad about them? Why am I so heated here?
Because these insecure, fragile and fucking egotistical dictators take every breathing second to wring blood from a stone with a climb-the-ladder-at-all-costs, take-no-prisoners and scourge-the-earth mentality.
Why would you ever work for someone like this the naïve ask?
The simple answer is change happens fast.
You can have great leaders and culture that for whatever political or economic reason are replaced, and in comes the gun’s blazing psychopath. The higher up you climb the longer it can take to switch companies sometimes.
I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity to work for a few of these insecure leader types. Fear is the mandate. Always questioning your job is how they control you. They surround themselves with “yes” people and any kind of open discussion is discouraged.
The emperor has no clothes.
Tread very carefully my friend within this regime. And do yourself a favor, if someone offers you a life preserver, jump off that burning ship. Or at least dust off that resume and start networking again.
Because you and I both know, now it’s only a matter of time…
-Q-FI
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I’m curious on all your opinions out there regarding this topic. It shouldn’t matter what industry or job type you’re in – the politics of power and status affect everyone. Have you ever come across these types of people? How did you deal with them? Why do you think people act this way and value status and power over basic humanity? Does our societal structure cause this?
I was also going to include my own experiences on how people treat you differently once you’ve achieved your own status and power in your career. But this shit got way too long, so I’ll write a separate post from that angle in the future.
As our good pal Plato once said, “The measure of a man is what he does with power.” Still true. Sadly, all these archetypes you describe are very real and ubiquitous in corporate life.
That said, you are spot-on I’m using the word glamour – because that what it really is – bogus enchantment that only exists in a quasi-fictional microcosm of “the office.” Once you walk out, it ceases to exist and you’re stuck on the 405 sucking muffler while waiting on hold with Verizon to deal with an idiotic glitch like the rest of humanity. That ain’t power. Those who fall prey to or worship such nonsense are pitiful indeed.
Nice Plato reference Mr. Fate.
Hahaha… love your 405 Verizon visual you painted. True dat.
I agree, the reign is only temporary and illusionary. Titles come and go. Hopefully you treat people well along the way.
I set a goal of running the company I interned at by the time I was 40. But I got there by serving others, not by bossing them around. I wanted to advance because it’s more fun than doing the same job for thirty years and because it pays more. And in fact it was a lot of fun and made me millions. I saw a few of the stereotypes you detailed. Some, but not that many. Few advance in today’s efficient corporations based on anything but merit. And servant leadership is a key attribute for anyone seeking advancement at most companies, at least the ones I have inside knowledge about. I agree there are some people who exhibit some of those behaviors, I especially remember a secretary like that, but when she died she bequeathed $800,000 to local charities, so she was far from heartless.
Very ambitious goal Steveark and glad you achieved it – at least I’m assuming you achieved it by that age since you reference it. I know you got there eventually regardless.
Sounds like you did it right and treated people well along the way. My hat is off to you for that, and I’m glad to hear it. I wish I’ve come across more leaders of your character in my corporate journey.
I do have to disagree with this line – “Few advance in today’s efficient corporations based on anything but merit.”
“Efficient” would not be a choice word to describe the multiple mega corps I have worked for. Indeedably’s “acceptable incompetence” is a more apt description that comes to mind. I’ve also rarely seen advancement based on “merit.” Politics and staying in your lane has ruled the day in my experience. But you and I have always had very contrasting experiences with corporate America. Like I’ve mentioned before, hearing your tales just might make me hold out for hope… but don’t hold your breath. Hahaha. I’m running out of my own windbag oxygen to keep these lungs chugging.
Thanks for sharing your experience Steveark.
I have to admit my experience is pretty limited to just one company and it’s two successors. In all honesty it took me to age 41 to achieve my goal, and even then I still had many overlords. Only the CEO has no boss, and he rules in fear of the board of directors. You are likely a better judge of corporations
than me since I stayed in one place my entire career. I enjoy your perspective, even where mine was different. I don’t think I’m more right at all, I just lived what I lived, it’s enlightening to learn what you lived. I honestly think sometimes the stories I tell about my experience are just that. Stories I create to make sense of my life. Stories that may be far from accurate. They feel honest to me, but I’m never truly objective about my life.
I wouldn’t discount working for only one company at all. It’s actually really good to hear your positive experiences. It’s tough for me to find any friends or acquaintances spanning very different careers and industries that have been overall happy with their work situation. It seems stress and overworking are the most common offenders. So it’s cool hearing how you were able to climb the ladder the “right way” as well as maintain a healthy work/life balance. Who knows, maybe at some point this will get better for the majority of Americans as well. At least that’s the hope.
You missed my least favorite actually. The argumentative low level employee. This one has a minute amount of power, not even middle manager. And basically makes due by obfuscating everything so they don’t have to do any work. Ie not even the lazy employee that does no work, but the one that actively sabotages everything you need to do. Usually the folks that are given a job off in the corner after screwing something up in power previously from my experience.
Yep, those are the true gems. My secretary example actually had a lot of that in her too. Anything resembling progress or productivity was anathema to her. Once in a blue moon I find myself wondering what ever happened to her. And then I catch myself and wonder why I’m evening wasting my braincells in thinking that.
But you’re right. The internal saboteurs who do everything to keep their job security are some of the most frustrating to deal with. Usually lifers too. They’ve been there so long thwarting change, that they know exactly what to do to make sure nothing ever gets done. Hahahaha.
Regardless of what anyone says, I’m not going to miss corporate America at all.
Good one FTF.
I know these types. I also know the all-powerful, God-like ones, who have legitimate power because of their Ivy league degrees and career accomplishments. But I’ve also literally laughed in some of their faces for trying to wield that power over me. (Yes, they could have gotten me fired.) Their trainees worship them, and, no, that’s not an exaggeration. Usually, it’s a combination of both fear and worship and it’s gross. I respect them where respect is due, but that’s it. Their behavior disgusts me, and it’s gotten to the point where I will either 1) not work with them, or 2) feel free to speak my mind and talk back when necessary. I’ve even called them out for having temper tantrums worse than my 4-year-old niece. I’m not obligated to worship them because they’re not training me. Such is health care, though. I never experienced anything quite like this in corporate America, though I’m sure something similar exists. And, no, not everyone is like this, but to say these types don’t exist would be a lie. Most people I work with aren’t this awful, just a handful, if even that many. Most are lovely. It’s the awful ones who stand out, though, which is why you’re writing about them! 😉
The psychology behind this mindset is fascinating, though. I’m curious what makes them tick.
All that said, I see far more of Full Time Finance’s example than the God-like ones. Maybe that’s because so few can actually be God-like, and way more can be lazy.
I can definitely see how that God-complex would fit in healthcare. Dealing with life and death situations, saving people, etc. Yeah, the egos it creates are probably not fun to deal with.
Good for you for sticking up to them. I’m assuming that’s what having options has done for you. Maybe give you some extra confidence since you aren’t entirely dependent on the job. You have some resources to fall back on.
That’s actually commendable you can still respect them where it’s due. After I see some fucked up shit, it’s a challenge for me to ever respect that person again. I know people make mistakes, but if you’re a repeat offender and not improving it’s hard for me not to write them off.
Yes, the psychology is fascinating. It seems many people have these experiences with power worshippers but we’re all still unsure exactly how people tend to get this way. It would be interesting to dive further into it with someone who has studied it, or has a psych background.
i work in the dinosaur industry of chemical manufacturing but not near the headquarters. the plant sites are the red headed stepchildren only there to be milked to the last drop/dollar. it’s a huge and formerly “prestigious” corporation but most of the luster is gone. they surely are no longer attracting the best and brightest. i have seen all those types you mention and especially despise the rise at all costs type. here’s the thing: no modern growing company is trying to poach or recruit any of these chumps. they don’t even know they are chumps. do they wonder why apple, microsoft, or nvdia never come calling for their faux mad skillzzzz?
on the other hand i one time worked for a little privately held manufacturer. it was in a small city and was a true meritocracy. almost all the vp’s and the president started in my job at one time in their careers. i should have stayed but the heavy metal poisoning over time didn’t turn me on too much. if i’m going to kill my liver it will be with wine and not industrial silver compounds.
“They don’t even know they are chumps.” Very true. That one line will unfortunately probably never go out of style.
I’m right there with you on the liver. If I’m going to slowly kill myself, it might as well be under my terms instead of an employers. That was a good call, even meritocracies aren’t worth your health.
I will say that it’s pretty refreshing when you do see a company that mostly uses merit to promote. You’re like, “Wow! This shit really exists?” Hahaha.
This one had me nodding along Q-FI.
My experience is closer to yours than Steveark’s, there is often an inverse correlation between talent and advancement. I’ve rarely observed a fully functional C-suite in a listed company, more than a few participants inevitably act like a bunch of overtired toddlers fuelled by birthday cake, untouchable for political reasons that are universally understood yet rarely discussed.
The model that appears to work (for the individual, rather than the organisation or shareholders) in megacorps is to firmly attach lips to the backside of a rising star, join the winning team, then shuffle up the corporate ladder in a conga line until you’re able to kneecap your boss and take their place. Meanwhile, you assemble a network of toadies and sycophants below you to make you look good, and help nobble your rivals. Brutal and Darwinian, particular for those who are also able to squeeze “cost savings” or “efficiencies” out of the stone.
Corporate cultures tend to reinforce themselves via a feedback loop, with history repeating. The bullied becoming the bullies. The abused evolving into the abuser.
The only folks insulated from this corporate Game of Thrones are the poisonous secretaries you mention, and lifer saboteurs FullTimeFinance so vividly described. Neither are going anywhere, immovable parts of the landscape. Playing an entirely different game.
It seems you and I have always had pretty similar corporate experiences Indeedably.
Once again, you sum up that dance quite succinctly. I particularly liked the “toddlers fueled by birthday cake” line. Hahahaha.
I feel like at some point things would have to improve, but as you mention it’s a “feedback loop, history repeating,” until it basically becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I guess it will be interesting to observe 20-30 years from now if the model has shifted at all. I’m not optimistic, but at the same time, I shouldn’t (baring unforeseen catastrophe) be in the system any longer to take its measure. At least I hope not.
Or maybe I’ll be that egotistical dick at the top fucking everything up… hahahaha. I pray that is not the case.
I think the model has probably always been this way, at least as long as there are large scale organisations. Armies and the clergy both spring to mind as storied examples with histories spanning centuries.
Organisations start out small, with few places to hide. Then they grow and expand, reaching a critical mass where these sorts of behaviours start to emerge. Grow some more, and those behaviours become widespread, competence and success no longer being synonymous.
Eventually, most organisations fail or disappear. Bankruptcies. Mergers. Take overs. Replaced or overrun by smaller upstarts, possessing less legacy baggage and fewer cultural issues (yet).
The very fact that these behaviours raised concern in you tells me won’t be the big swinging dick. It never would have occurred to them that their behaviours might be a problem!
You always have good insight bud. Yeah, I’d definitely drop out of the workforce prior to ever living an alter-ego of the big swinging dick… hahaha! I’m just used to never saying never in this life. So I can’t ever rule anything out entirely.
That’s just my nature. The impossible always has a way of slithering underneath our skin.
I liked your org synopsis. Maybe you should start another blog as a historian? Good chops my man.
You could probably make a Dick Tracy cast of character villains that haunt the American workforce. Jealousy and haterism is the fuel for the drama engine that plays out at work. I personally don’t think merit has much to do with advancement, in fact, quite the opposite. Therefore we have the basis for the drama and wacko characters you bring to light in this great post.
I went from one work world to the other when I moved into the “office” from the field. Silly me for thinking, ah the office must be a civil place, these guys went to school and don’t punch each other out. No matter if it’s convicts or college grads the characters are the same, like you articulate. Hilarious when I put two and two together after reading your piece. Mr Fate left probably one of the best comments I’ve read in a while and I have to agree with him. Who are we after work? Without work? Too many people build up this work world into their mini-kingdom that really in the grand scheme doesn’t mean much, other than show true colors. I stay out of politics and schmoozing for many reasons, even to my detriment. For one, I don’t have the “salesman” personality, and two, I just want to do my job and go home. I have no urge to advance to a position beyond my title, I just want to build buildings. So yeah, it can be fun to stand on the sidelines and watch all this drama play out, as it seems you do too.
You had some great one-liners in here Noel that I enjoyed. “A Dick Tracy cast of character villains that haunt the American workforce” and “the drama engine that plays out at work.” Good stuff bud.
Whether it’s the field or the office, you have the same shenanigan’s going on. I guess where there are people, there will be drama… hahaha. My role is an office role per se, but I spend a lot of time in the field at operations as well. So like you, I’ve been exposed to both sides. In my experience, ops tends to be a little more male-driven and kind of like a locker room mentality, while the office tries to maintain a more proper feel, but backstabbers are just a little more discreet.
I’ve gotten to a point in my career where I try to eliminate as much drama and politics as I can. As you say, watching from the sidelines. I’ve never desired the top job and am at that point where I’m trying to find the best work/life balance. I still work too much but I’ve found a relative happiness so far. I don’t think I have the right mindset to ever be truly happy in a corporate environment, but it’s a good means to an end. I try to live the best life I can now and not put things off.
But man, it’s so hard to avoid stupid people. Hahaha.
And yeah, MF’s comment sums it up. Once the title is gone, who are you? Many don’t know. At least we do.
I’m not a hundred percent sure where the following quote came from (perhaps a commenter on a finanacial samurai blog, but I thought it was apropos. Here goes: “The MLE (Mountain Lion Executive) …even when predators aren’t killing anything, their tracks, smells and sounds can instill a state of simmering unease in their prey. This creates what ecologists call a landscape of fear (writes scientist writer Ed Young). In the corporate world, this is called “Fearsome businessman in suits.” (or doctors in white coats)…ugh. MLEs prefer to hide in their natural habitat: meeting rooms, airports, hotels, executive lunches, award ceremonies or rented yachts at their award ceremonies. Nothing makes them jump into view as quickly as winning any useless industry award. Every time we see them, a dangerous encounter may occur.”
“Not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for working brutal hours in my 20s and early 30s. Being free is absolutely priceless the older you get because you no longer are willing to put up with the world’s bullshit. After I left Corporate America in 2012 at the age of 34, all my chronic pain (TMJ, lower back pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, etc) went away. The time for working on a side-hustle before or after work is now. You never know what might become of it.” Financialsamurai.com
I had not heard that “Mountain Lion Executive” metaphor before. It’s good and pretty funny. Spot on as well I might add.
Even though I write this blog, I consider myself more of an observer rather than a creator. I follow Sam on the peripheral. He has some interesting takes from his Goldman Sachs days and his San Fran living.
Thanks for sharing that Glincoln. It was good stuff.