Tough Day Podcast From Bad Bosses to Great Leaders
Aug 22, 2025
Mita Mallick, a bestselling author and workplace culture expert known for her transformative insights, dives into the colorful world of bad bosses. She shares stories from her upcoming book, discussing how bad management styles, like the macro manager or the kind-but-incompetent leader, impact teams. Mita emphasizes the importance of trust in leadership versus neglect, offers strategies for dealing with workplace gossip, and reveals the significance of team agreements and effective communication in fostering a healthy work environment.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Assistant Wedding Photographer Training
- Mita's first real job was as an assistant wedding photographer and she learned a lot about what not to do.
- She once dropped a tripod in church and found the experience challenging but formative.
The Burn-Book That Became A Book
- Mita found a notebook of 'bad bosses' while salvaging her mother's flooded home and that sparked the book idea.
- She realized everyone can be a bad boss sometimes and wanted to flip the survival question into learning to do better.
When Trust Becomes Neglect
- A macro manager reacts to micromanagement by retreating into neglect and providing too little guidance.
- That hands-off style can be dangerous for new hires who need coaching, obstacle removal, and political support.
