How One Abrasive Leader Can Quietly Destroy Your Culture
In the dynamic world of leadership, few challenges are as pervasive and damaging as dealing with abrasive leaders.
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Topic guide · 14 articles
Managing Difficult People
Practical frameworks for managing challenging team members. Move from avoidance to resolution without damaging relationships.
Every leader has that one person. These articles give you frameworks to address the behaviour, not avoid it.
Practical frameworks for managing challenging team members. Move from avoidance to resolution without damaging the relationship or the wider team.
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More on managing difficult people
Why Tough Conversations Go Wrong and How to Fix That
In the Ways of Working program, one of the modules we talk about is Tough Conversations.
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Why Your Top Performers Are Slowing the Rest of the Team Down
Controversial truth: your top performers are often your biggest constraint. Not because they are underperforming. Because they are overcompe
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How to Tell If You Are the Bottleneck or the Amplifier
Quick question: Which type of leader are you?
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How to Respond When a Manager Says I Do Not Need to Develop
Picture your team member, leaning back in their chair, arms folded. Twenty years of experience worn like armor. Not only are they avoiding d
Read article →How to Stop Being the Person Your Team Brings Every Problem To
As a leader, much of our time can be taken up by members of the team who encounter a problem and come to us to fix it for them.
Read article →How Leaders Accidentally Exploit Their Team's Willingness
This blog was one I thought long and hard about how to write. Then I thought, if it feels uncomfortable for me
Read article →How to Lead with Empathy Without Losing Your Authority
Empathy enables you to know if the people you’re trying to reach are actually reached. Without empathy, you can’t build a team or nurture a
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Why Trying to Get Everything Done Is Making Things Worse
Your inbox is screaming at you right now.
Read article →Why Fixing Everything Yourself Is the Problem Not the Solution
If solving problems were the path to the top, every CEO would be a former help desk manager.
Read article →How to Stop Firefighting and Start Leading Your Team Forward
Ever notice how your day starts with big plans but ends fighting urgent problems?
Read article →How to Lead Through Tough Periods Without Burning Your Team Out
Caption – Leadership is a relentless journey, fraught with numerous hurdles that test the mettle of even the most seasoned individuals.
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How Back-to-Back Meetings Are Draining Your Team's Capacity
Let's talk about your calendar this week.
Read article →How to Find the Weak Spots in Your Team Before They Show Up in Results
Yes, the title is a clickbaity one – and I apologise. But the reason I chose it was based on a memory of a conversation many years ago with
Read article →Podcasts and media on managing difficult people
PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers handle abrasive leaders without harming teams
Abrasive leaders can destroy team morale. Learn how managers can address abrasive behaviour and build a healthier workplace culture in this
Listen to episode →Guest appearanceConflict Managed
Find The Friction & Address It
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Jimmy Burroughes. Join us as we explore: Spotting friction early and turning it into progress Rebui
Listen to appearance →Guest appearanceThrottle Up Leadership Podcast
Throttle Up Leadership Interview
What are the characteristics of a high performing organization? Is burnout merely a personal issue or can organizations reach a point of bur
Listen to appearance →In the pressMedium
The Hidden Costs of Abrasive Leadership
Jimmy Burroughes exposes the true organisational cost of abrasive leadership — the kind that gets results in the short term but quietly erod
Read article →Questions leaders ask about managing difficult people
How do I manage a difficult employee?
Get specific about the behaviour and its impact, have the honest conversation early, and agree what needs to change. Most difficult behaviour continues because it has never been addressed clearly.
How do I deal with a negative team member affecting others?
Address it directly and privately, be clear about the effect on the team, and set the expectation for change. Left unchecked, one persistently negative person can drag down the whole team's culture.
How do I manage someone who challenges my authority?
Stay calm, understand what is driving it, and be clear about expectations without turning it into a power struggle. Sometimes a challenger just needs to feel heard and given real ownership.
What do I do about a high performer with a bad attitude?
Be clear that results do not excuse behaviour that harms the team, and hold them to both standards. Tolerating a toxic high performer signals to everyone else that behaviour does not matter.
How do I stop avoiding a difficult team member?
Prepare the specific message, choose your moment, and have the conversation while the issue is still small. Avoidance almost always makes the problem bigger and the eventual conversation harder.
Explore More Topics
Team Performance (79)Culture Change (46)For Senior Leaders (41)Communication (38)Employee Retention (37)Remote Leadership (36)Work-Life Balance (33)Coaching Skills (30)Building Trust (27)Decision Making (25)Accountability (25)Delegation Skills (24)Having Hard Conversations (22)Leadership (19)Change Management (11)For New Managers (8)Emotional Intelligence (8)Dealing with Burnout (5)Management (4)For HR Leaders (4)Gen Z Workforce (4)Running Better Meetings (3)
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