Braving Bad Bosses

Bad bosses lack balance and the character needed to stand up under the demands of leadership. In this episode, Jeff wraps up season three by sharing the secret ingredient to successful leadership. Listen in to find out if you're on the path to being an integrated leader.

Bad bosses see development planning as a burdensome HR paperwork process. We all need some degree of growth. Join Jeff as he shares why developing people is so important, and how to use his "3P" framework for simple team growth planning.

Bad bosses don't understand the underlying causes of conflict and will often fail to address it when it happens. Join Jeff as he shares some thoughts about the physiology of conflict and provides 6 mediation tips you can apply right now.

Bad bosses fail to lead their people to the acceptance of changes. They disappear, fail to support, or just passively let others worry about implementing change. Join Jeff as he shares five key roles good bosses play to ensure their team adopts change successfully.

Bad bosses avoid giving constructive criticism, aka, negative feedback because of fear, discomfort, or laziness. Listen in as Jeff explains why having a B.L.T. is better than feeding people a "feedback sandwich."

Garbage in, garbage out. This old adage is true with many things including the process of handing off assignments, tasks, or responsibilities. Bad bosses skim this process. Listen in to this episode as Jeff explains the why and how of the age-old process of delegation... you might be surprised how unboring the topic really is.

Bad bosses neglect the importance and impact of selecting the right people for the team. Adding a weak, poorly-fitting, link to the chain of your team can be devastating. Join Jeff as he quickly reveals four things you can do to select great people.

Can you imagine joining the crew of a ship to undertake a dangerous voyage and find out the captain has no idea where he's going or what it will take to get there? Join Jeff as he unpacks a simple process of "charting a course" for your team to instill confidence and get results.

What do you call someone who chooses to run 100 or even 200 miles? Nuts. (Todd) Join Jeff as Todd Chandler takes a break from training to discuss the goals, choices, and community needed to run extreme distances (and be a leader) even if leading nobody but your future self.

Bad bosses ignore or abuse budgeting processes which create problems for the team. Good bosses rethink resources, plan well, and persuade powers that be to invest in their teams. Join Jeff as he welcomes special guest, Tyson Schank, the co-creator of the Rethinking Resources module within the Real-Life Leadership program.

Bad bosses ignore the stuff going on in their environment that makes people feel uncomfortable, unaccepted, worthless, exploited, and unfairly treated. Tune in as Jeff shares another sign of good bossing... modeling great, respectful behavior, and standing in the path of predators.

Bad bosses adopt a "my way or the highway" leadership approach, and it just doesn't work. People are unique and need us to be flexible and adaptable in our leadership style and approach. Join Jeff as he looks at a couple of simple ways good bosses can assess the core personality and readiness levels of the people on their teams.

There's one thing we all have in common: We all have the same amount of time in the day to live our lives. Bad bosses let stupid meetings and other distractions steal our time away from doing the tasks of leadership. Listen in as Jeff discusses a few ways to take ownership of our time to create margin in our day to really lead.

Is it okay for a leader to simply "leverage strengths" and expect that it will maximize results and attract followers? Join Jeff as he unpacks the idea of "omni-dimensional" leadership and the need to understand our natural tendencies and limitations if we hope to be the kind of leader our people need.

Why do we insist on drawing a distinction between "leadership" and "management?" Join Jeff and Todd as they share/debate an interesting perspective with which you may not agree!

The guys are finally back from an extended holiday and Kansas City Chiefs' celebratory experience! Don't miss this important preview of what's included in Season Three!

Whether we like it or not, our relationship with our boss is exactly that. A relationship. Sometimes we can work for a boss devoid of vulnerability, warmth, and relationship focus. Join Todd and Jeff as they discuss how to survive under a boss who keeps you at arm's length.

Growth is required for anything to produce and avoid stagnation. Unfortunately, many bosses give very little attention to developing and growing their people. Join Jeff and Todd as they compare people to sheep???

When someone has 'power' in an organization, they are the ones we need to make decisions so we can do our jobs. Join Jeff and Todd as they discuss how to survive when your boss is a waffler...

Trying to do your job without the tools, funds, or staff necessary is a horrible way to work. Jeff and Todd explore strategies to survive under a boss who just doesn't plan for the needs of the team.

Have you ever had a boss who believed that recognition and praise was unnecessary? If you have a Don Draper in your life, you'll enjoy Todd and Jeff's discussion about the "what we pay you for" boss.

Conflict is natural and normal for any group. A conflict avoiding boss creates two problems: festering cultural toxicity and a lack of tough performance conversations. Join Todd and Jeff as they discuss how to survive with a boss that can't or won't embrace conflict.

Volatile, scattered, erratic, unpredictable. If these are words you'd use to describe your boss, then listen in as Jeff and Todd chat about how to survive under an unstable boss...

There's nothing wrong with a quiet, thoughtful boss, but what about when they're so painfully introverted that they avoid interaction and communication like the plague... Join Jeff and Todd as they discuss what to do if your boss looks more at his/her shoes than they do at you.

Feedback is the lifeblood of performance. Without feedback, we wonder how we're seen by our boss and whether we're even valued. Listen in as Jeff and Todd explore how to survive and even thrive under a boss that is stingy with feedback.

Micromanagement is one of the most common complaints we hear from employees. Join Todd and Jeff as they discuss "control freak" bosses and how to cope with this difficult and frustrating situation.

Moving targets, shifting goals, conflicting messages... These can quickly drive us crazy. Few things produce more anxiety than not knowing what's expected of us. Join Jeff and Todd as they address what to do when your boss is unclear about priorities.

Do you have a boss that disappears and leaves you to figure things out on your own? Join Jeff and Todd as they discuss the boss's sin of omitting availability, presence, and assistance.

In this episode, Todd and Jeff talk about the difference between the obvious boss sins of commission and the even more insidious boss sins of omission. Listen in as they share the twelve sins of omission to be discussed in Season Two.

Jeff and Todd provide a two-minute sneak peek under the covers of Season Two of Braving Bad Bosses...

Join Jeff and Todd as they reminisce about crazy stories from Season One and discuss where Braving Bad Bosses is going in Season Two.

In this final Season One episode, Jeff and Todd venture into the "you can't make this stuff up" world of disgusting boss behavior. How do you survive a boss whose personal habits literally turn your stomach?

Once upon a time, there was a boss who felt it best to throw people into the deep end to learn to swim. Turns out, this is just an excuse to skip teaching and documenting processes. Join Jeff and Todd as they discuss "Trevor's" experience in the deep end of the pool.

So you think you might work for a pathological liar? You won't believe the lengths to which "Glenn's" boss fakes it till she makes it. In this episode, Todd and Jeff talk about what to do when your boss lies to clients and others...including you.

Almost all of us face the challenge of being asked to do more with less... sometimes after bosses reduce staff in the name of "efficiency." This was "Vicki's" reality. Listen in to find out how Jeff and Todd would deal with a boss that cuts staff then asks you to pick up the slack.

Sometimes boss laziness manifests in poor communication about expectations. In this episode, Todd and Jeff discuss "Shawn's" story about a boss who had no clue what he wanted until he saw it... or didn't see it.

Ever thought you had earned the right to vent to your boss only to be shamed and chastised for the very behaviors your boss often displays? Listen in as Jeff and Todd review "Derek's" story of his mixed-message boss.

How would you react if a senior leader's spouse was hired and assigned to your team? To make matters worse, let's say she was horrible at her job... Listen in as Todd and Jeff discuss "Michael's" real-life horror story.

Join Jeff and Todd as they invite special guest Leslie Anderson of Beta Aquarii to share her perspective on our Touchy Feely boss "Pillboi," gender differences, and the power dynamic involved in touching at work.

When a boss feels threatened, playing favorites can even cross the line into sabotage! Join Todd and Jeff as they discuss "Chiti's" horror story from the dark side of a politically charged law firm.

Join Jeff and Todd as they discuss "Kamilah's" experience with a boss who used manipulation and survivor island techniques resulting in a "darwinian" work environment. Yikes.

So your boss is a little too free with physical contact? Join Todd and Jeff as they rip another story from the headlines about a high-profile politician they dub "Pillboi" and discuss whether it's okay to touch at work.

Ever had a boss who used his position to create stupid rules just because he could? Listen in as Todd and Jeff discuss "Jason's" experience with a power-trip boss.

What do you do when your boss is literally a slime-ball? If you've ever described your boss as "diabolical," listen as Jeff and Todd discuss "Simone's" story.

Have you ever desperately needed support on an employee issue but your boss was too afraid of conflict to help? If so, listen as Jeff and Todd deal with "Tahani's" difficult situation.

This episode is ripped from the headlines. Join Jeff and Todd as they discuss a bad boss dubbed "Mindy St. Claire." What would you do if your boss publicly called your work is the "worst she's ever seen?"

Imagine debriefing after a meeting with a client and your boss sucker punches you with blaming feedback. Listen in as Jeff and Todd discuss "Eleanor's" experience with the statement "...and it's all your fault!"

Have you ever dealt with a boss who wanted you to "know your place" and actually used that phrase?! If you can believe it, the horror story shared by "Janet" in this episode describes exactly this.

Our brief introduction to who we are and the purpose and format of the Braving Bad Bosses podcast. Thanks for checking us out!