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

Dealing with a Toxic Boss: Surviving Without Becoming a Victim

In today's corporate world, toxic bosses are an unfortunate reality, whether they are in the Spanish or international scene, past or present, according to Santiago Álvarez de Mon, a leadership expert from IESE Business School. "Throughout my career, I have encountered many authoritarian and abusive bosses. They exist at every level of the organizational pyramid and in all types of industries and business cultures," he explains.

The rise of populist world sentiment is contributing to the increase of authoritarian bosses. Laura Guillén, a teacher at Esade, states that during times of crisis, leaders sought for guidance are more likely to exhibit high levels of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellism, known as the "dark triad personality," as reported by the source.

Examples of such leaders are abundant, ranging from political figures like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to business executives like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. During crises, people tend to be more affiliative and submissive, while individuals with dark triad personality traits maintain their power ambitions and exploit the chaos, even generating it themselves. They display aggression and have a sense of entitlement, according to Guillén. Their personal ambition takes precedence over everything else.