The 1999 Mike Judge film, Office Space, is a MasterClass on leadership. Not the good kind, though. It’s 90 minutes of what not to do, how not to lead, and why not to treat your people like automatons.
Bill Lumbergh, the division vice-president of the Texas-based software company, Initech, is the principal antagonist of the film, and his reign of micromanagement horror is weaved artfully throughout every scene. From his ubiquitous condescending tone to his casual dismissal of everyone around him, everything about Bill Lumbergh screams of the boss from hell.
How bad was Bill Lumbergh? Bad enough that author Doyle Green described his as “the antithesis of the motivational management leadership ideal” in his 2010 book, The American Worker on Film. Lumbergh engaged his employees with empty, rhetorical small talk, offering a droll, “What’s happening?” before launching into an unenthusiastic diatribe about some meaningless piece of busy work, such as the ubiquitous cover sheet expected on all “TPS reports.”
The movie is both hilarious and relatable. Because most of us have worked for someone not that unlike Bill Lumbergh.
THE FIVE SIGNS OF TOXIC LEADERSHIP
Lumbergh, like most counterproductive leaders, is fueled by a heavy narcissistic streak. From his obsession with his personal parking place – which he guards like a hawk – to the vanity license plate on his Porsche 911 SC, Bill Lumbergh is all about Bill Lumbergh. And, like pretty much every other toxic leader in existence…
1. It’s all about them.
People are a replaceable office accessory with little more value than a coffee mug. When a toxic leader chooses to acknowledge or reward someone, it’s purely transactional. Once that transaction is complete, you’re just another coffee mug in the break room.
2. They’re never wrong.
A toxic leader can’t be wrong about anything. It’s not enough for them to be right, either – you have to be wrong. This allows a toxic leader to establish dominance over the other person, to assume a superior position from which to exercise perceived power.
3. Everything comes down to control.
Toxic leaders are control freaks. Their actions typically signal their pathological need to be in control. They want people to come to them, at a time and place they control. They don’t like to delegate, and when they are forced to, they impose strict micromanagement over every detail. There’s only one way to do any task: their way.
4. Knowledge is power.
With a toxic leader, it’s not so much about what they say as what they don’t say. A toxic leader will purposely withhold information, even if it puts the mission at risk. The less you know, the more perceived power they possess.
5. There’s no “there” there.
Behind the façade of charisma is a dangerous mix of narcissism and sociopathy. A toxic leader learns early on how to mimic behaviors, how to fit in with a crowd. Like any predator, they are practiced at the art of deception and experts at luring people in close to them. But, deep down, there’s no “there” there – it’s all an elaborate ruse.
UNLEASHING YOUR INNER LUMBERGH
Usually, this is the point where most reasonable people with any degree of self-awareness ask themselves, “Am I Bill Lumbergh? Do I do that to my people?” The answer to those questions is inevitably no for two reasons. One, no one who possesses any self-awareness would share those traits. Two, anyone who leads like Lumbergh would rationalize their behavior as “just good leadership” and wouldn’t acknowledge any shortfalls.
But the signs are always there. It’s whether you give them the attention they’re due.
1. You feel compelled to manage minute details two or more levels below you.
That’s called “micromanagement, if you weren’t sure.” Why you think it’s necessary isn’t important. It’s wrong.
2. People constantly let you down.
If you’re going to sit in the chair, then you own everything that happens, good AND bad. If you’re “punching down” all the time, then you’re the problem.
3. You sacrifice others before taking responsibility.
This is called “throwing people under the bus.” This isn’t the Soviet Union. You’re the decision-maker. If things aren’t going well, you own the problem.
4. People don’t take the initiative.
What you see as an unmotivated team is actually a sign that people don’t trust you. They don’t take the initiative because they know you’ll shoot them down or micromanage things after they’ve put in the work. So, they don’t.
5. You spread false motivation like candy on Halloween.
All the toxic positivity in the world won’t improve the workplace culture. You can’t just smile and pretend everything is fine. That’s a meme, not the real world.
6. People avoid you like the plague.
If your team isn’t genuinely interested in interacting with you, there’s a reason. It’s you.
7. You spend more time in your office than out of it.
While your team might actually prefer that, you can’t lead from behind a desk. Get up, get out, and circulate. It’s called “Leadership by walking around.”
8. People are leaving in droves.
People don’t leave a workplace, they leave a leader. If turnover is abnormally high, it’s likely you and the culture you foster.
9. You play favorites.
If the only people you recognize are the people who you like, you’re undercutting the morale of the rest of the workforce. Spread the love.
10. People don’t know what’s going on.
Communicate much? Probably not. When people struggle to keep up with what’s happening in an organization, it’s usually because the leadership fails to keep them informed. It’s not complicated.
There’s a final sign, one separate from the other ten that probably is the easiest to miss: You lead with an iron fist. In other words, it’s your way or the highway. You might spend a little time building the illusion of cooperation, but you’re really just giving others time to come around to your way of thinking, so things don’t look so draconian to the casual observer. But, let there be no doubt. People will do things your way or they’ll find themselves on the outside looking in.
