Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin have helped teams around the world adopt more modern ways of working and on At Work with The Ready they’re sharing the inside scoop with you, too. Whether you’re struggling with a carousel of ineffective meetings, annual strategy sessions that go nowhere, or decision-making churn that never ceases, they’ve seen it all and are here to help. In each episode, they'll break down common workplace challenges and show you the moves—both big and small—to start making real, lasting change. (Formerly “Brave New Work” with Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans)
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Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin have helped teams around the world adopt more modern ways of working and on At Work with The Ready they’re sharing the inside scoop with you, too. Whether you’re struggling with a carousel of ineffective meetings, annual strategy sessions that go nowhere, or decision-making churn that never ceases, they’ve seen it all and are here to help. In each episode, they'll break down common workplace challenges and show you the moves—both big and small—to start making real, lasting change. (Formerly “Brave New Work” with Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans)
Every worker has a bad boss story—but why are they so common? In this two-parter, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin dig into the archetypes of dysfunctional leaders and the systems that keep them in power. Because bad bosses aren’t accidents—they’re often a predictable response to organizational pressures.
In Part 1, they take on the Micromanager, the Rager, and the Martyr. From obsessive control and volcanic tempers to bosses who never log off, these archetypes reveal the deeper fears and systemic incentives driving destructive behavior. Along the way, Rodney and Sam share strategies for surviving each type, plus insights for executives who may be unknowingly creating the conditions for bad bosses to thrive.
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Mentioned references:
Paris Geller as the boss, The Gilmore Girls
Yzme, The Emperor's New Groove
00:00 Intro + Check-In: Who’s your favorite bad boss from TV or movies?
02:38 The Pattern: Bad bosses are the product of the system that promoted them
04:30 Bad Boss 1: The Micromanager
06:52 Micromanagers stamp out innovation and emergent ideas
10:11 The source of micromanagement behavior
11:25 Dealing with The Micromanager
14:17 Bad Boss 2: The Rager
15:50 Rage is used to mask vulnerability
19:04 Dealing with The Rager
22:13 The source of ragers and the orgs that enable them
25:27 Bad Boss 3: The Martyr
30:24 Dealing with The Martyr
32:33 Being the boss to The Martyr
34:19 Time of The Martyr is ending
36:05 Wrap up: More bad bosses next time!
Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
At Work with The Ready
Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin have helped teams around the world adopt more modern ways of working and on At Work with The Ready they’re sharing the inside scoop with you, too. Whether you’re struggling with a carousel of ineffective meetings, annual strategy sessions that go nowhere, or decision-making churn that never ceases, they’ve seen it all and are here to help. In each episode, they'll break down common workplace challenges and show you the moves—both big and small—to start making real, lasting change. (Formerly “Brave New Work” with Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans)
