Tag: Leadership skills

Book Reviews

So Good They Can’t Ignore You By Cal Newport

by journeytoleadershipblogLeave a Comment on So Good They Can’t Ignore You By Cal Newport

The culture that we live in encourages people to live their dreams and follow their passions. We don’t necessarily have a guideline to live the dream, to exercise our passions and to find the career that best suits us.

It seems that to get a fulfilling job or to do great work, following your passion is definitively not the way to go.

Why not?

Because following your passions is difficult, rarely successful and dangerous. Studies have shown that:

  • Passions are not determined at birth.
  • Most people can have several passions that have nothing to do with choosing the right job. Some people don’t necessarily have a passion to follow.
  • Passions for a job takes time to develop. It takes time to build relationships, to become efficient at what you do and see the impact of your work.
  • You become passionate when you master a skill.
  • You become confused and anxious when you follow passion.

So Good They Can't Ignore You By Cal Newport #bookreviews #books #success #purpose #mission

What should you do then?

When going after the career you want, you must measure the importance of growing a set of skills and adopt the craftsman mindset.

Indeed, there are two ways of thinking about work. There’s the craftsman mindset and the passion mindset.

The passion mindset focuses on what the world can offer you. It sets you constantly on high alert, seeking for what you don’t like. It leaves you perpetually in a state of confusion.

The craftsman mindset is useful in building the career that you want, irrespective of what type of work you do. It focuses on what you produce and what you can offer the world. It leaves you with clarity and a love for what you do.

How to acquire the craftsman mindset?

Great work is a combination of creativity, impact and control. This combination is rare but valuable.

Matter of fact, great jobs are rare and valuable. To find them, you need to build up great skills and in turn offer skills that are rare and valuable.

The craftsman mindset is the best way to acquire skills Capital.

To grow a craftsman mindset, you can follow these 5 steps:

  1. Decide what Capital Market you belong to.
  2. Identify the type of Capital you want to pursue.
  3. Define clear goals for yourself.
  4. Get out of your comfort zone and stretch your abilities.
  5. Be patient.

How to gain control using your new found Capital?

Gaining control over what you do is an important part of enjoying what you do and is the hardest part.

Gaining control turns out to be tricky: you cannot ask for more control if you don’t have enough Capital to back it up or you have acquired lots of control that you can no longer evolve in your role.

It serves to have a unifying focus or mission for your career. A mission will focus your energy toward a useful goal and increase your impact on the world. To accomplish your mission, you can take small steps that generate concrete feedback.

Review

So Good They Can’t Ignore You is an extremely practical, logical guide to get the career that you want and to be so “good they can’t ignore you”.

In So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newport believes that you should not pursue your passions in order to achieve career success.

Instead, you should seek to improve your skills and apply yourself in a particular field. By mastering a skill, you will gain in efficiency and gradually become passionate about the work you do.

According to Cal Newport, people who solely follow their passions end up shifting careers when they realize that their career is not what is cracked up to be.

To get a fulfilling job and the career that you want, he suggests 4 rules or principles that are extracted from many successful people lives and that are difficult to implement.

It was very interesting and somewhat refreshing to hear an unpopular opinion. His principles and opinion are not designed for dreamers. It is however designed for people at entry-level at their jobs, for analytical people who are geared towards efficient performance and who are career focused.

Even if I’m a practical person, I admittedly don’t see anything wrong with pushing people to follow their passions that might get them out of their comfort zone and into their dream job.

I think that there isn’t one approach to success or else everybody would be doing it. Some people are motivated by having a solid plan, others by an unshakable purpose and others by an exciting passion. 

Let me know below what you think about this book!

Favorite quote(s)

Ratings 3/5

Author

Cal Newport

 

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership

 

Advertisements
Book Reviews

The Successful Introvert By Wendy Gelberg

by journeytoleadershipblogLeave a Comment on The Successful Introvert By Wendy Gelberg

Many introverts evolve in society feeling like something is wrong with them, like they don’t belong or out of sync with society.

That is because we see people on TV acting out their emotions and interacting with other people.

Introverts Characteristics

Introverts live inwardly and are often engaged in internal activities.

They are uncomfortable in social situations. they find social situations to be draining and enjoy long periods of solitude, which makes it challenging for them to advance in the workplace.

Introverts are good listeners and process information before they speak.

Some of the adjectives that frequently come up in describing introverts are quiet, serious, calm, reserved, detached, restrained, and private. - Wendy Gelberg in The Successful Introvert Click To Tweet

Furthermore, introverts can be seen as “fair, thoughtful, intelligent, competent, diligent, and trustworthy”.

The Successful Introvert By Wendy Gelberg #books #bookreviews #introversion #success #leadership #leadershipdevelopment

How To Manage Your Introversion?

Introverts must understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Introverts must also discipline their active minds. They tend to make assumptions and create stories in their mind that hold them back and are not always true. Instead, they must pick stories that propel them in life.

Introverts must learn how to protect their energy and take breaks when they need to in order to rejuvenate and be more alert at work. 

There are several additional strategies to manage your introversion in order to achieve success:

  1. Focus outward.
  2. Keep your eyes on the prize.
  3. Practice and fake it until you make it.
  4. Feel fear and go towards it anyways.
  5. Be unafraid of rejection.
  6. Embrace solitude. Protect their space and energy. 

The Skills Every Introverts Need To Succeed

Introverts need to learn other extroverted skills to make them more effective in the workplace and to get out their comfort zone.

1. Networking

Networking is challenging for introverts but is necessary and inevitable.

For introverts, networking seems self-serving and distasteful.

To be able to network and connect better with people, it helps to listen to people’s needs, to ask them for advice and to understand that every interaction can pay off in the long run.

2. Communicating Consciously

Because introverts withdraw in their own world, must:

  • Pay attention to their own thoughts.
  • Be careful when and how to communicate with others so that the latter don’t make negative assumptions about them.
  • Stay detached from their work enough to be able to socialize.

3. Promoting Themselves

Self-promotion makes introverts very uncomfortable.

However, your work will not speak for itself.

You have to learn to promote your own work and competencies.

Review

Most books about career development and success are generally geared towards extroverts, which can get discouraging for introverts.

In The Successful Introvert, Wendy Gelberg gives hints on on how, when and where to use your introversion. She shows that there is strength in introversion, that there are places and moments where your introversion is valuable. 

The Successful Introvert by Wendy Gelberg is eye-opening. I recommend this book for shy and introverted leaders (in progress) who want to gain self-awareness, optimize their leadership and develop their career.

Some of us are not leaders yet and wish to become leaders. The thing is our introversion is often times what stops us from getting what we really want in life.

In addition, the corporate world does act like introverts are problematic and often singles them out. Introverts have to learn to accept who they truly are and make the best of their personality type.

Let me know below what you think about this book!

Favorite quote(s)

The key to success is versatility.

Introversion is not a limiting characteristic, although the accompanying traits may require some special accommodations (also true of extraversion, but that’s a subject
for another book). We make comparisons to people who are highly successful and see the ways in which we fall short. Meanwhile, we don’t get to see the struggles or challenges that they had to deal with, so their success looks falsely uncomplicated.

Some of the adjectives that frequently come up in describing introverts are quiet, serious, calm, reserved, detached, restrained, and private. All of these speak to our inner focus, and they can contribute to success when used appropriately.

Ratings 3.5/5

Author

Wendy Gelberg

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership

Author

Wendy Gelberg

by journeytoleadershipblogLeave a Comment on Wendy Gelberg

MEET THE AUTHOR

Wendy Gelberg is a career coach and the Author of The Successful Introvert.

Book Reviews

Start.: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters By Jon Acuff

by journeytoleadershipblogLeave a Comment on Start.: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters By Jon Acuff

In life, we must always take a step back and ask ourselves the following question: “Where am I?“.

Everybody successful person who has accomplished something in life went through the following 5 stages in life: Learning, Editing, Mastering, Harvesting and Guiding.

Most people don’t follow these 5 stages and instead choose the Average Path. Why?

Because the Average Path is comfortable and effortless. People who go down the average path are just existing and don’t make decisions.

Start.: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters By Jon Acuff

How to get away from the Average Path?

To get away from the Average Path, you just need to Start no matter how old you are. 

In reality, the way you Start your journey in 100% in your control. You are sure of your Start but you will not know how it will end.

To have a good Start, you must first be realistic about your current situation and your goals in life.

You have to be focused and work hard on your Start.

You must also recover a childlike perception of yourself all while using the tools you have gained as an adult.

Do I Need To Know My Purpose To Start?

You don’t need to figure out your purpose to Start.

You don’t need to determine the end results before taking your first step because doing so puts too much pressure on you.

Furthermore, you will not want to do anything and will not want to fix your life before finding it.

The truth is you don’t need to find your purpose but just do everything with purpose. You can start anything you want without a purpose.

What Happens When I Start?

When you start going after the things you want, fear will show its ugly face.

It will make you question your self-worth and make your journey more torturous.

It will make you think that it’s too late and that you are behind in schedule.

It will tell you that everything needs to be perfect.

You honestly have to find a way to deal with your fears.

You have to live your life without regrets.

The Learning Stage

At this stage, you are in your 20’s.

You are still testing the waters and trying to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life.

The Editing Stage

In your 30’s, you start looking back at your 20’s.

You select what matters most to you and going after what worked for you in the past.

You start focusing on your career and relationships. 

To edit your life, value what you have, search for your passions, find out what brings you the most joy and what activities align most with who you are at your core.

You don’t have to wait for outside to live the life you really want to live.

You don’t have to stay places where you grow as a person or where you have no passion for.

The Mastering Stage

In your 40’s, you mastered every thing that is important to you.

You are more self-assured and are certain about where you are going.

To master your life, you have to put in the hours and hone your craft by volunteering, taking up part time jobs and participating in hobbies that bring you closer to your goals.

In mastering your life, you will face many obstacles and challenges.

The Harvesting Stage

In your 50’s, you reap what you have sowed in your 30’s and 40’s.

In this stage, it is wise to:

  • Treat people right
  • Not get complacent or lazy
  • Treat your accomplishments as rewards and not reasons for what you do.

The Guiding Stage

At this stage, your are in your 60’s.

You are retired and enjoying the fruits of your labor.

You start mentoring, helping people on their journey and start giving back to your community.

But once you are in this stage, you have to return to the Learning Stage and start all over again. To guide people, you must ask people questions and listen to their stories.

Then, you can tie your guiding experiences to something you were always interested in. 

Review

Start.: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters by Jon Acuff is a funny book with great life lessons.

The principles behind the Start.: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters are very similar to those in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.

Jon Acuff‘s examples and introspective comments are hilarious but also liberating. He shares his strengths, his weaknesses and doesn’t take himself too seriously.

I truly recommend this book because it provides comfort and encouragement. In addition, at the end of the book, Jon Acuff shares a practical step by step guide for you to overcome fear and escape average. 

Let me know below what you think about this book!

Favorite quote(s)

the surprises life gives are always better than the things you think you see coming.

Average is so popular because average is familiar. We all know how to do average. Ninetynine percent of the people on the planet do average. The road is well worn, the decisions are obvious, and the next steps are crystal clear.

Every journey has a first step. Every dream has a first destination.

No matter what fear and doubt tell you, your identity is not at stake with the decisions you make and the actions you take as you learn.

Don’t buy the lie that changing the world has to be a chore or make you miserable. Be brave enough to have fun with whatever you whittle down in your life.

Ratings 4/5

Author

Jon Acuff

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership

Journey To Leadership

17 Risks Every Leader Should Take

by journeytoleadershipblog2 Comments on 17 Risks Every Leader Should Take

We make decisions all day that will affect the rest of our lives.

These decisions have to be thought through in order for us to have the life we want.

They affect our self-esteem, relationships, career, lifestyle, … our everyday.

The truth is, there is always an element of risk in everything that we do.

Wondering what are the risks that every leader should take?

17 Risks Every Leader Should Take

1. Bet on yourself

The best bet you can take is on yourself.

Indeed, you are your best tool for success even if you cannot predict the future or the outcome of your decision.

If you want to achieve great things, you must first believe in yourself then make sure that you are always performing at your best.

2. Get to know yourself better

Getting to know yourself better means trying new activities, seeing what you like and dislike, what you are good at or not.

Being authentically yourself requires courage and the belief that nobody needs to like you.

3. Improve on yourself

Change is scary for most people.

When you try to improve on yourself, the people around you will resist that change, may even think that you are crazy and may not recognize you.

They will pressure you to revert to your old self. You will risk losing friends and family in order for you to grow and to feel good about yourself.

4. Reinvent yourself

Don’t do what is expected of you.

Your life will be dull if you did what everyone else wanted of you.

Your friends and family certainly have your best interest at heart but most of the time they can stunt your growth and bring down your expectations so you don’t outgrow them, so you don’t change.

To break these expectations, start doing things that your entourage will laugh or look down upon.

5. Put yourself out there

Everyone observes and judges others at some point in their life. Honestly, we all do it whether we mean to do it or not.

Everybody criticizes. Criticism can be negative or positive but it can sometimes be useful.

It only hurts if you let it or if you agree with the criticism.

So, put yourself out there:

  • Risk of being judged or appearing foolish.
  • Don’t be afraid to look stupid doing something.

6. Pursue your dreams

Don’t live in regrets and what ifs.

You don’t want to get old and realize that you didn’t do what you set out to do.

Furthermore, the happiest or most content people are driven, purposeful and allow themselves to dream and act upon their dream.

There comes a point in time when you have to chose between your goals and your friends. You have to know that it is OK to miss out on fun events with friends and family in order to work on your goals and advance your purpose.

7. Admit your mistakes

When you take risks, you will always make mistakes.

Mistakes are signs that you are human, trying new things and getting our of your comfort zone.

Sometimes, we think that there is no going back from our mistakes, we cannot move on and we cannot be forgiven for what we have done.

You will ever know if you don’t take the risks and ask for forgiveness.

Advertisements

8. Learn to forgive

When other people on your team make mistakes, you must learn to give them a second chance. 

The risk or the certainty is that they will mess up again but they will have enough confidence to fix their mistakes.

Consequently, they will trust you more, be more creative and forgive you more when you make a mistake.  

9. Show emotion

In the workplace, showing emotion is risky because people will tend to use them against you.

In order to not be taken advantage of, you really have to own them and discipline yourself. 

10. Ask questions

Leaders must acknowledge that they don’t know everything. 

They must therefore listen, ask questions and value their employees.

It’s better to ask questions and look dumb for a few minutes than say nothing and be dumb for a lifetime.

11. Speak up

Leaders must speak truth to power, speak with truth, power, integrity and transparency.

They must stand up for what they believe in and speak up when it’s right even when it’s hard to do.

In addition, they express their opinion, don’t try to manage other people’s feelings and opinions: they say what they mean and mean what their say.

People who are able to speak up confidently, say what bothers them and what doesn’t are the people who usually go far in life.

12. Analyze opportunities

Before taking any risks, you must always analyze the pros and the cons of your decisions.

You have the right to say no to opportunities that don’t fit you.

You have the duty to say yes more often to things that scare you.

Just remember that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

13. Risk rejection

If you haven’t been rejected in life, then you haven’t done anything worthwhile.

You have to dare to apply to jobs you don’t have the qualifications for, talk to people outside your circle with different affinities.

If people don’t return your interests, then they are the ones missing out. 

14. Let go of things you cannot control

You must take the risk that everything will work out on its own and you don’t have to control everything.

15. Don’t be afraid of getting hurt

Taking risks implies that you will be vulnerable most of the time.

In other words, it means that you open yourself up to get hurt.

Because pain is inevitable, you can go for it and perform at the best of your abilities. 

16. Overcome your fears one by one

You will not feel confident going towards your fears. However, once you have faced your fears, you will feel good about yourself and be ready to take on any life challenges.

In reality, your fears are not as bad as you think and facing them help you build confidence. 

Most of the time, your mind and your ego are exaggerating your fears to protect you.

17. Travel

Travelling allows you to reframe your mindset, to learn new things and meet new people.

It also allows you to try out different versions of yourself.

It costs money but it is totally worth it.

Last Words Of Advice!

Life is an adventure! Don’t live in regrets and live your life to the fullest.

Taking risks is the best chance you have to get to know yourself, predict the future and achieve your highest potential.

The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.

 

 

Hope that I’ve helped you get it together on your way to leadership!

Don’t forget to like, share and leave a comment below.

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership

Journey To Leadership

12 Ways Leaders Live Life To The Fullest

by journeytoleadershipblogLeave a Comment on 12 Ways Leaders Live Life To The Fullest

Leaders are generally very busy and have a tendency to spread themselves pretty thin.

They dabble in multiple activities but don’t take the time to relax and to smell the flowers.

While achieving their goals, it seems that they forget to live life to the fullest and can hardly make the difference between Monday, Friday or Saturday.

Wondering how leaders live their life to the fullest?

Living life to the fullest means that you go after what you want without letting fear get in the way.

12 Ways Leaders Live Life To The Fullest #positivity #leadership

1. Leaders focus on themselves

Leaders work towards their goals everyday, focus on themselves and not on others.

Leaders who live their life to the fullest focus their time and energy on things that matter.

In Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less, Greg Mckeown urges us to discipline ourselves, to be selective of the activities that you partake in. 

2. Leaders give way to their imagination

Leaders don’t downsize their dreams.

Instead, they dream so big that it scares them.

They expect great things from themselves.

They are just convinced that they will succeed no matter what.

3. Leaders are self-assured

They don’t care what others think about them and don’t live by other people’s expectation.

In addition, they say yes to opportunities that they want, they don’t settle for less, for people or a job they don’t respect.

Furthermore, leaders don’t complain, make excuses, or procrastinate.

4. Leaders go after what they really want

Life is shorter than we think. Years go by in a blimp and leaders know that. 

I can hardly remember what happened last year and the year before that.

All I know is that I didn’t do what I really wanted to do.

To go after what they really want, leaders:

  • Maximize their potential
  • Choose their job and activities carefully (if they can).
  • Are selective of whom and what they give their energy to.

5. Leaders do something that they really enjoy everyday

If you like to read like I do, you can take time off at lunch or in the commute to read and to unwind.

Their life choices are not tied to monetary issues.

6. Leaders don’t take life too seriously

Leaders have huge responsibilities.

Paradoxically, they don’t take life too seriously.

Leaders learn to laugh at themselves and their circumstances.

They relax when they have to, and don’t succumb to negative emotions and behaviors.

For them, being positive is a state of mind but most importantly it’s a choice.

7. Leaders walk in their purpose

Leaders live life from the inside out: they know that how they think will demonstrate itself.

Therefore, Every little thing that they do had purpose.

They stick to their system of values and live in alignment with their purpose.

They have clear defined values and a personal mission statement that they live by.

8. Leaders are present

Leaders consider everyday to be a new day.

They don’t let life rule them, they stay present and don’t look back at the past failures.

9. Leaders are forgiving

They do not hold on to past hurts, memories and to people who degrade them.

10. Leaders are authentic

They are committed to grow.

They don’t want to live someone else’s life.

They don’t want to be surrounded by people they don’t like or respect.

11. Leaders are people persons

They enjoy alone time.

They surround themselves with people who push them to grow, to be better and to do better.

12. Leaders are curious

Leaders get out of their comfort zone.

They seek to know more and to upgrade their mindset.

Last Words Of Advice!

We all have an idea of the person we want to become in life.

Don’t wait to have everything 100% in place to behave like your ideal self.

Remember, it’s your life and you create your own life experiences.

 

Hope that I’ve helped you get it together on your way to leadership!

Don’t forget to like, share and leave a comment below.

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership

Journey To Leadership

10 Ways Leaders Manifest Their Visions

by journeytoleadershipblogLeave a Comment on 10 Ways Leaders Manifest Their Visions

Everyone has the ability to manifest their vision. 

With that knowledge, leaders just don’t dream about their goals.

Against all odds, they are able to attract what they want.

They support their dreams with actions, put forth the time and energy towards their goals. They watch what they say to themselves about themselves.

Wondering how leaders attract what they want and need out of life?

10 Ways Leaders Manifest Their Visions #vision #purpose #success #lawofattraction #leadership

We have all heard of the Law of Attraction.

It consists in bringing your deepest desires into reality by focusing your thoughts on them. To manifest your vision, you have to strongly believe that this is what you really want and this is your true purpose.

For example, you can manifest the perfect relationship or on the job you want by focusing positive thoughts and sending positive intentions its way.

1. Leaders are honest with themselves

Be honest with yourself because the truth will set you free.

Everything around is only a reflection of who you truly are. So be who you want go attract.

If you are not aware of your strengths and weaknesses, you will not achieve your goals.

If you are not an improved person you cannot expect the best of the best. You will only get the best for your level.

2. Leaders are grateful for what they have

They are always grateful for what they have no matter how small their possession.

They let go of control and are open to receive what is coming to them. 

You can cultivate the habit of making a gratitude list. A simple list can be:

I am grateful for the clothes on my back.

I am grateful to be alive.

I am grateful for my serenity.

I am grateful for my health.

I am grateful for my team and business.

After writing your list, read it everyday and change your mindset instantly.

3. Leaders value their imagination

Leaders are naturally dreamers.

They allow themselves to dream big.

They use their imagination for their benefit.

Indeed, your imagination is the best tool that you have at your disposal that nobody can take away from you.

Leaders use their imaginations all the time to escape, to motivate their team and to build products, companies. 

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand. - Albert Einstein Click To Tweet

4. Leaders live as if their dreams have come through

Because the universe conspires with you on what you want to attract, they act up as if they have already achieved their required level if success.

They fake it until they make it. For example, they will dress for the position they want to have.

5. Leaders focus on their goals

Leaders place their focus on the essentials.

Furthermore, they focus on themselves and don’t compete with others.

They understand that whatever they put their attention on is what is going to grow.

They have a vision or dream board that help them see things more clearly.

They tend to place them in the area that you can always see and visualize yourself in that situation.

6. Leaders believe in intuition

They trust their intuition.

They listen to their feelings and do whatever resonates with them.

If they have negative vibes about a situation, they immediately take a step back and analyze the situation.

7. Leaders monitor their thoughts

They meditate and actively monitor their thoughts.

When a thought comes through that bring up negative emotions, they are instantly aware. Then they fight their negative voice in their head or sleep to give their mind a rest or exercise to get rid of cortisol. 

In addition, leaders constantly elevate their own mood. To make themselves feel better, they use positive words of affirmation.

To elevate your mood, you can read books that comfort you and make you feel better about yourself.

You can carefully choose your activities, music and TV shows, screen what you put in your mind because it programs you. 

8. Leaders live a life of abundance

They are conscious of their personal power and are at peace with themselves.

Furthermore, they walk with integrity, don’t harm anyone and mind their actions. They believe that what they put out is what they will come back to them. 

They are conceived that they will succeed. They are cognizant that something great is on its way.

They don’t set your thoughts on want is missing or on want others want from them.

They are not easily offended or don’t think that they are victims of their circumstances.

9. Leaders know that words have power

They are conscious of the power of their words and choose their words carefully.

Indeed, if you say, “I’m so tired” you will eventually be exhausted for the whole day. If you say, “I’m stressed out” you will definitively be overwhelmed by stress.

To manifest what you really want, start saying and doing how you want to feel and what you want to do.

10. Leaders are altruistic

They care for people other than themselves.

The process of caring for others take them out of their negative space and environment.

For instance, they help their team and people in their communities. 

Last Words Of Advice!

When things are not going your way or you are not achieving your goals, know that you can always turn things around, improve your mindset, achieve your purpose and find your peace.

Fight negativity. Show yourself some love.

 

Hope that I’ve helped you get it together on your way to leadership!

Don’t forget to like, share and leave a comment below.

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership

Journey To Leadership

15 Hateful Coworkers and How to Deal with Them

by journeytoleadershipblog44 Comments on 15 Hateful Coworkers and How to Deal with Them

We all have been exposed during a period of time to annoying, hateful, toxic coworkers that can drive us crazy.

Sometimes, bringing us to ask ourselves whether they’re the problem or we are.

Wondering how to spot these toxic coworkers from afar and how to handle them?

Every workplace has difficult employees and we all have been, to some extent, in different situations with hateful coworkers. I do believe that we all, partially or fully, demonstrate some level of toxicity towards a third party in the workplace.

Below, are the 15 worst toxic coworkers that I have already met and have had to deal with.

Case Study #1: ​The Delicate

Key Symptoms

The Delicate is a sensitive person with vain imagination that constantly and easily feels under attack, and that takes things deeply and personally. The Delicate thinks that people are looking, gossiping and criticizing him or her!

Treatment

  • Keep the conversation on superficial topics and crack jokes about him or her.
  • Avoid using sarcasm, making dry remarks, directly confronting this person. Instead, try to sugarcoat things and to give indirect constructive criticism.

Case Study #2: The Slacker

Key Symptoms

The Slacker is mostly concerned about personal life and regulating it during working hours.

The Slacker does not take his or her work seriously, spends his or her working life over the internet, cannot make a deadline to save his or her life, is not punctual even absent, unapologetically displays a lack of motivation.

The Slacker is visibly unfulfilled in his or her current position but won’t do anything about it.

Treatment

  • Impose a deadline or better yet let him or her publicly impose a deadline.
  • Pick up the slack with the rest of the team and keep quiet.
  • This individual will sink himself or herself. Otherwise, this individual will eventually have to get up and swim, explain their behavior, their performance and their results to upper management.

Case Study #3: The Rocket Scientist

Key Symptoms

The Rocket Scientist is the individual on the team that is full of knowledge but who is in search for recognition for his superior intellect and who demands an immense respect for his expertise.

The Rocket Scientist will feel insulted and will almost become passive aggressive if his or her ideas and point of view are being questioned.

Treatment

  • Avoid comparing his expertise to anyone on the team.
  • Avoid diminishing his knowledge and ideas in front of the team or behind closed doors.
  • Avoid criticizing his work and intellect.
  • Instead, tap into his range of knowledge by placing him or her in the role of a counselor but not a decision maker.

Case Study #4: The Gossiper

Key Symptoms

The Gossiper is an individual that enjoys gossip, that emphasizes and embellishes a rumor.

The Gossiper is nosy and loves to keep the rumor mill spinning. This person is even capable of destroying someone’s reputation in the office.

Treatment

  • Listen to the rumor without adding any input. The information may not be malicious but indicative of office politics or of a situation that you can take advantage of.
  • However, learn to separate useful information from the gossip.
  • If this person only brings negative void information, crafted gossip, signal your disinterest by not responding or responding with monosyllables or challenging the facts in the story line, discreetly remove yourself from the circle, avoid participating in the rumor mill.
  • Be careful not to offense this person, for they would drag your name in the mud. If this person is actually gossiping about you, avoid any interaction and adding fuel to fire by striking back with gossip before damaging your reputation.
  • Confront this person in a non threatening and diplomatic way, in a private setting by stating that you are aware of the gossip and everyone is saying that she is a liar and the bearer of the negative information but you know that is not true.

Case Study #5: The Bulldozer

Key Symptoms

The Bulldozer is an individual that believes wrongly in his intelligence. The Bulldozer doesn’t hesitate to make everybody’s life miserable if things don’t go his way.

The Bulldozer threatens, bullies, intimidates, steps on toes and remains on the verge of harassment in order to get things his way. “It’s my way or the high way!”.

The Bulldozer imposes his way of doing things even if it is not the best way of doing them.

They make the worst managers ever but are the most common managers found in corporate.

Treatment

  • Cultivate your emotional intelligence in order not to respond to negativity with negativity.
  • listen to this person point of view from beginning to end without uttering a word, then summarize their position and calmly expose yours.

Case Study #6: The Work-To-Rule

Key Symptoms

The Work-To-Rule discards any part of responsibility in a situation, does not understand tram work and does exactly what is stated in their contracts and no more.

In fact, the Work-To-Rule insists on not taking on more responsibilities than his or her job description.

Treatment

  • Stress the importance of team work and the value of this individual contribution at work.

Case Study #7: The Overly Friendly

Key Symptoms

The Overly Friendly is an individual that thinks that his coworkers are his extended family and that doesn’t mind sharing extra personal details of his or her life. These details will make you uncomfortable.

Treatment

Explain that you don’t want to hear the gruesome details of his or her life.

If his or her behavior are too intimate, it can be considered as harassment and can be reported to human resources.

Case Study #8: The Naysayer

Key Symptoms

The Naysayer is an individual that irritatingly pinpoints everything negative in a situation and predicts problems before they happen, without proposing an alternative and constructive solution to the situation at hand.

Treatment

Position that person in roles that require to see problems before they occur.

No need to argue and show the positive side of an idea.

To inhibit this behavior, request an explanation why the situation would not work and a thought-through plan for the solution

Case Study #9: The Blameshifter

Key Symptoms

The Blameshifter is an individual that points the finger at everyone else but themselves and that comes up with very creative excuses to completely remove the blame from themselves.

It is a form of narcissism: the Blameshifter is afraid of confronting themselves.

Treatment

  • Come prepared with evidence.
  • If the blame is pointed at you and you know that it is not your fault, give proof of your innocence without accusing this individual.
  • If this individual comes to you with an object of complaint on someone else, in order to avoid being put in the middle, claim that this is none of your business and suggest that they have a conversation with the alleged culprit.

15 Hateful Coworkers and How to Deal with Them

Case Study #10: The Neophobe

Key Symptoms

The Neophobe is an individual that doesn’t deal well with change. The Neophobe is capable of refusing it, sabotaging it or even halting it.

Treatment

  • Demonstrate to him or her that change isn’t traumatic and can be positive.
  • Provide proof and facts that the change eminent is positive.
  • Help that person embrace change.

Case Study #11: The Chatterbox

Key Symptoms

The Chatterbox is an individual that drops by your workspace and starts chatting without solicitation about anything and everything.

This individual does not necessarily partake in gossip, but volunteers to share their point of view.

This individual tends to makes you unproductive and inefficient.

Treatment

  • Avoid using words of exclamation or affirmation to not encourage this person to keep on talking.
  • Avoid making eye contact when this person is passing through.
  • Politely and respectfully explain that you are on schedule.

Case Study #12: The Martyr

Key Symptoms

The Martyr is a dedicated employee, willing to “die” for their company without being asked to do so, and that searches for recognition and validation.

For example, the Martyr does extra hours at work and manipulate the boss when someone else get a promotion.

Treatment

  • Show appreciation for this employee and value their work within the company.

Case Study #13: The Stealer

Key Symptoms

The Stealer constantly steals coworkers ideas, takes credit for them and denies it when confronted.

Treatment

  • Hold back on your ideas and opinions when having a conversation with this individual. Listen more than you speak.
  • Avoid confronting this fool but bite your tongue instead because he or she might not know how to implement your ideas.
  • Don’t report it to upper management before appearing to be salty.

Case Study #14: The Snake

Key Symptoms

The Snake is an overly ambitious — almost sociopathic — coworker that smiles to your face and that stabs you and everyone else in the back. The Snake will claim that your ideas are wonderful but will degrade them when you are not looking.

Treatment

  • Keep your personal information, brilliant ideas to yourself.
  • Listen more than you speak.
  • Stay socially engaged and involved in office politics.

Case Study #15: The Ultra Competitive

Key Symptoms

The Ultra Competitive is an individual that is prepared to step over your dead body to succeed or to get recognition in the workplace.

Treatment

  • Focus on your work or get involve in a project where the Ultra Competitive person is not involved in.
  • Stay socially engaged with your other coworkers and keep networking.
  • Consider the company culture, compare them to your values and figure out whether or not you fit in.

How do I deal with other difficult personalities?

Last Words Of Advice!

Toxic coworkersMost coworkers use extreme tactics to get advancements in the workplace and would do anything to trigger you, to demean you or sabotage your own progress.

Some take job positions where they do not belong and that they cannot handle.

Others are misusing their strengths and transforming them into flaws that are not accepted in the environment they choose to work in. Others are even responding to an already toxic workplace.

Lastly some coworkers are oblivious to their visible flaws and practice them outside of work.

In order to deal with other toxic coworkers:

  • cultivate emotional intelligence,
  • listen more than you speak,
  • look for the positive or the humour in negative circumstances.

No matter the reasons, you have to learn how to insulate yourself emotionally and spot a hateful coworker from a distance.

 

 

Hope that I’ve helped you get it together on your way to leadership!

Don’t forget to like, share and leave a comment below.

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership

Journey To Leadership

9 Common Misconceptions About Leadership

by journeytoleadershipblogLeave a Comment on 9 Common Misconceptions About Leadership

In the workplace, everyone has the potential to become a great leader if they have the right knowledge.

Unfortunately, most of the time, for lack of knowledge, we see our higher ups acting like children and creating toxic workplaces.

They misunderstand the real role leaders should have within their team and organization.

Wondering what are the common misconceptions about leadership?

9 Common Misconceptions About Leadership #leadership #selfimprovement #truth

Misconception #1. Leaders are bosses or managers

Don’t mistake leaders for bosses. Great leaders generally don’t like humiliating people or bossing people around.

Leaders don’t go around telling people what to do but tend to lead by example.

Leaders have to lead themselves first before they lead anybody else.

They don’t need or want to have power over others. Instead, they influence and empower others. 

Misconception #2. Leaders are not emotional

“Leave your emotions at the door” is an expression that we often hear in the workplace.

The truth is we can’t fully detach our emotions from our circumstances wherever we go.

The truth is nobody wants an emotionless leader who lacks empathy for their team and cannot communicate their emotions.

Why? Because emotions make us human. They are there to help and guide us.

That doesn’t mean that we should wear our emotions on our sleeves and bleed on everyone else.

It means that you should definitely communicate your emotions and that you can share what you are feeling in a disciplined manner.

Misconception #3. Leaders are unkind

We often hear that kind people are generally taken advantage of and don’t make it very far in the world.

People in positions of leadership feels the need to be mean to demonstrate their power and to protect themselves.

However, kind leaders are successful in the workplace because they:

  • Are firm yet vulnerable and are open to accepting help from others.
  • Listen and help their coworkers.
  • Are flexible and supportive.

In return, team members are more motivated, more productive, and are appreciative of a healthy work environment.

Misconception #4. Leaders are confident all the time

Leaders are human too.

They are not always confident and positive.

They have huge responsibilities and developed character, but they still fall prey to insecurities.

However, they make a point to nurture their self-esteem and boost the self-esteem of others. They know how to discipline their emotions because they are aware that they are role models.

Misconception #5. Leaders are professional and private

Leaders are professional but they have a personal life that they can share if they want to.

The reality is that leaders have to open up and get to know their team members.

They have to know what motivates their team and share what motivates them in return.

They need to know what is important to their team so that they create a healthy work-life balance.

Misconception #6. Leaders know everything

Some people think that leaders have to know everything.

Some employee may even challenge their bosses knowledge.

Leaders are not supposed to know everything. They are there to unite and to guide.

Instead, they must surround themselves with the best and rely on them to get all the expertise they need.

They may not be experts but leaders must not feel insecure about not knowing everything. 

Misconception #7. All leaders are extroverted

Extroverts are people persons, are skilled at communicating and speaking their mind.

Because communication skills are highly valued in the workplace, extroverted leaders have a leg up on the competition.

However, introverts can achieve their full potential as well because introverts have their own set of skills. They become wise and understanding leaders who listen to their team and reflect on the best solutions.

Misconception #8. Leaders have high energy

Sure, leaders should exercise and refresh their mind to maintain a certain level of energy.

However, they are not jesters or there to entertain the crowd.

They have to make responsible decisions and stay focused on the vision.

Misconception #9. Leaders are void of mistakes

In reality, leaders make the most mistakes.

They function ahead of the crowd and experience things before anyone else.

They had to make mistakes before they achieve any type of success.

Last Words Of Advice!

There is no general mould for leadership.

Most leaders don’t really need a diploma, title or position.

Furthermore, leadership is a constant work in progress. There are leaders at all levels of life and there are various leadership styles for leaders to express themselves.

 

Hope that I’ve helped you get it together on your way to leadership!

Don’t forget to like, share and leave a comment below.

 

Subscribe to Journey To Leadership