Episode 94 | Difficult vs. Toxic Bosses: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

Episode Notes:

Dr. Laura revisits the topic of toxic bosses with in-depth information about the differences between a difficult boss and a toxic boss. In conducting studies and reading research on toxic bosses for the book she’s writing, Dr. Laura has gathered an immense amount of knowledge on identifying, differentiating, dealing with, and surviving toxic bosses. In this episode, she illustrates how a difficult boss is not necessarily a toxic boss and why this difference matters.

One of the main differences Dr. Laura points to is that while a difficult boss can be unpleasant to work with, they are manageable and can be navigated. A toxic boss, however, is not a sustainable person to work for as they are incredibly bad for mental health, physical health, and career progression. Dr. Laura breaks down all the ways we can differentiate between a difficult and toxic boss through their personal styles of management, levels of micromanagement, whether they communicate poorly or with dishonest and manipulative intentions, and how it feels when working with them. This episode expands our understanding of toxic bosses and adds more information to our knowledge bank so that toxic bosses can be more readily identified and, hopefully, avoided.

“And the biggest difference, really, is that you can find ways to manage a difficult boss, and you cannot do so with a toxic boss. A toxic boss is really damaging to your engagement, your productivity and your wellbeing.” Dr. Laura

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