Ever worked under a boss who blames, micromanages, or disappears in a crisis? You’re not alone—and you’re not powerless. In this episode of The Self Aware Leader, host Jason Rigby talks with corporate veteran and author Eric Charran to break down 9 types of toxic bosses and the real-life leadership tools you can use to rise above them.
Drawing from decades in Fortune 500 boardrooms—including at Microsoft—Eric shares actionable strategies to help you manage up, protect your energy, and lead with humility—even when the leadership above you is dysfunctional.
How to identify 9 common toxic boss archetypes (from “The Complainer” to “The Crisis Junkie”)
Practical tactics for managing up with grace
Why emotional intelligence is your superpower in chaos
Tools for turning frustration into focused leadership
Real-world stories of dysfunction—and resilience—from the corporate trenches
“Finger pointing is about ‘who’s going to burn for this?’ A growth mindset asks, ‘How do we learn and move on?’”
“An emergency on your part doesn’t constitute one on mine.”
“People quit leaders, not jobs. Be the leader they need by understanding them.”
02:14 – The Blame Game: Why insecure leaders default to finger-pointing
07:33 – The Deer-in-Headlights Boss: How to manage up with empathy
13:21 – Crisis Junkies: The cost of emotional dysregulation
18:45 – The Complainer: Reframing negativity as useful data
24:10 – Forgetful Leaders: Coaching when memory fails
29:18 – Order Takers: How blind compliance erodes culture
33:56 – Emotionally Fragile Bosses: Navigating oversensitivity
40:30 – Attack Subs & Last-Minute Missiles: Defusing stealth sabotage
47:15 – Superman vs. Lex Luthor: Two toxic archetypes revealed
Eric Charran on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ericcharran
Tired of managing up through dysfunction? Identify your boss—or yourself—in Eric’s framework and start shifting the dynamic. Subscribe, rate, and review The Self Aware Leader on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to stay grounded, grow your influence, and lead with clarity.
🎙️ More episodes at selfawarepodcast.com
