News•Feb 9, 2026
Three Bad Managers
In this episode the host recounts working under three highly successful yet fundamentally flawed managers—the Artist, the Dictator, and the Knife—illustrating how each excelled as a leader but failed at the core managerial duties of supporting people. The Artist prioritized creative output over team well‑being, the Dictator dominated discussions with a bullying style despite deep care for problems, and the Knife was erratic and disengaged, making any managerial guidance ineffective. The host shares the tactics he tried—educating, pre‑emptive preparation, and ultimately learning to stay out of the way—to cope with each style and extract lessons about adapting to different bosses. The key takeaway is that while you can’t change a bad manager, you can adjust your own approach to survive and still thrive.
