Cómo lidiar con un jefe tóxico (y no morir en el intento)

Dealing with a toxic boss can be a harrowing experience, but it is possible to navigate such challenging situations without being destroyed. Santiago Álvarez de Mon, a leadership expert at IESE Business School, has encountered numerous authoritarian and abusive bosses throughout his career. These toxic leaders can be found at all levels of the organizational pyramid and in various industries and corporate cultures.

While management has improved in recent years, such leadership remains more common in companies with a strong hierarchical structure.

Laura Guillén, a professor at Esade, points to the growing influence of populism worldwide as a contributing factor to the rise of toxic bosses. These individuals often exhibit high levels of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellism, which experts refer to as the "dark triad" of personality traits. This combination of characteristics can make them particularly dangerous in times of crisis when they tend to demonstrate even greater narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.

The global examples of leaders like Donald Trump, Vladímir Putin, Elon Musk, and Marc Zuckerberg are ample proof of the prevalence of this type of leadership. During crises, people often become more deferential and submissive, while dark triad individuals capitalize on the chaos and maintain their hunger for power. Their personal ambitions take precedence over everything else, making them a constant threat to employees' well-being and professional growth.