Inside The Mind Of An Irrational, Abusive, Mean Boss [Infographic]

We’ve written a lot of articles about how to compose a slam-dunk resume, how to answer tough interview questions and how to impress your future boss. However, what happens if you get the job you wanted only to find that your boss is crazy? Yes, there are irrational, mean bosses out there, and some of them are even abusive. Just to be clear, I’m not talking about a crazy boss who asks you to work weekends or stay late most nights. I’m talking about a c-r-a-z-y boss.

Since we spend so many hours of the day at work, it’s downright sad to learn the hard way that we have a mean boss. It’s a sensitive situation to deal with since it’s hard to talk about with most people. If you bad-mouth your mean boss, it could jeopardize your next career move. Plus, many people may not believe you, and they’ll assume it’s just a personality conflict. They won’t understand you are working with Mr. or Ms. Crazy.

According to this article on Forbes, there are some things you can do about this situation to maintain your own sanity until you find another job. There are three helpful tips in that article, but none of them include walking out of your job, which is what you probably feel like doing.

Another article here on Lifehacker actually has some really good ideas. It suggests you put as many people between you and crazy as possible, keep a crazy log (document everything), and don’t engage your mean boss unless you absolutely have to.

The thing I keep wondering is what goes on inside the mind of a mean boss? What would possess a person to behave that way? The University of Iowa conducted some research on this topic. They even looked at Steve Jobs and how different his public perception as a boss was compared to reality. It’s an interesting look into the psychology of mean bosses. You can read about that on As Bad As They Wanna Be.

You can also check out this infographic below called Executive Twist: Inside The Mind Of A CE(psycho)O (by PsychDegrees.org). It’s a bit disturbing, but you might get some insight about your crazy, mean boss after reading this. Good luck!