Gorilla Bosses Bring Jungle to the Work

Fox News ^ | October 18, 2005 | Michael Y. Park

[Samwise]

***snip***

Everyone knows them, or knows someone who’s had to deal with them: gorilla bosses. The ones who make their way to the top by throwing one elbow too many, scaring colleagues with their violent rages and basking in an often-unearned aura of cockiness.

“A boss like that doesn’t want to accept feedback, doesn’t want to understand other points of view — it’s his or her way or the highway,” said Chicago-based science writer David L. Weiner (search), who wrote about the about the "gorilla boss" phenomenon in this year’s “Reality Check: What Your Mind Knows, But Isn't Telling You."

Weiner said gorilla bosses fill the space of the alpha-male primates who bully their way to the leadership of the tribe and rarely care whom they have to trample on their way to the top.

***snip***

But according to many experts, it’s the bosses who need psychiatric help, because Testa’s description of superiors like his as psychopathic is spot-on.

***snip***

“You see the same characteristics with apes and chimps in the brain,” Weiner said. “But where as humans we grew the frontal cortex (search) to curb our impulses to put someone down, these gorilla bosses have dysfunctional frontal cortexes.

***snip***

Their findings? Of the 11 personality disorders tested for, three were more likely to be found in the executives than in the institutionalized criminals, including histrionic and compulsive personality disorders and narcissism.

At the same time, the executives lacked many other personality disorders that may be easier to spot and might cut short their careers.

[Samwise]

The article has several Horrible Boss stories.

[billorites]

Get back to work!

[RFEngineer]

"gorillas", "apes", "chimps".....is it really necessary to use these terms in describing how people get promoted these days? No, that would be reprehensible.

Why don't we just stick with the term "affirmative action"?

(/Bill Bennet)

[KC_Conspirator]

“Do his job for him, don’t take credit,” Weiner said. “He will take the credit and never thank you, but he won’t see you as a threat and he will know you’re indispensable.

Thats pretty crappy advice. A gorillla boss, or what in a category what I call a "crappy boss", will always blame you even when its his or her fault when it suits them. My advice to move on.

[joe fonebone]

I once worked for a guy who said that eating lunch was a sign of weakness. I quit after 6 weeks, and when i quit, he actually told me i cannot quit, because he was firing me!!!!!!! Just like the old comedy routine!!!!! we argued over weather I quit or was fired

[Sensei Ern]

DId anyone else notice the name of the guy who coined the term "Gorilla Boss" is D. Weiner?

If the boss has sound proofed his office, then no one can hear his screams for help when you quietly threaten to shoot his nuts off if he goes off on you again.

[quark]

"Get back in your offices and lower your eyes when I walk by!"

[mad puppy]

"Thats pretty crappy advice."

I completely agree. Jez,,, they essentially say appease the dork. Forget that. I had a project leader invite 5 of us (2 of whom where contractors!) out to the parking lot. We all sat there quietly, looking at each other thinking that maybe we should take him up on it. We didn't. An hour later I caught him in his office after he'd calmed down and over the course of 10 minutes explained to him why he'd made a complete a$$ out of himself, again.

From that point forward he was much nicer to me. These adult children NEED to be confronted. Not shouted down, just calmly confronted. What is that new law about "stand your ground"?

[KC_Conspirator]

I have worked with bosses that laid the blame on their stars in order to deflect attention to their crappy performance and bad judgement. I have worked with bosses who have keep files on employees in order to dust them off when the time was right so they could get out of whatever jam they created.

If you can, move on as soon as possible. Don't do what this HR bunny says, because one will get screwed in the end.

[MadIvan]

I wrote this about the owner of the company I work for -

Fixing the problem and fixing the blame
Are for me one and the same
Why admit anything's my fault?
As owner, nothing is, by default.

If my project festers and it dies
I don't have to admit others know more than I
If I get it wrong and make errors galore
I can compound them with even more.

If I yell and insult and tear others apart
Who will dare say that I'm without a heart?
I am king, ruler, master of my domain
And I won't be contradicted or called insane.

But with all my power, I know deep down
People think I'm a joke, a bastard, a clown
They know arrogance covers inadequacy
And I know they all laugh at me.

But my course is set, I must go on
Do my impersonation of being strong
My facsimile of being prudent and wise
Even if it means that all hope dies.

I will fix the problem by fixing the blame
And show no sign of feeling ashamed
For as long as I am owner, by default
Nothing will ever be my fault.

I am in management, but my profession is littered with scoundrels and fools.

Regards, Ivan

[mad puppy]

"If you can, move on as soon as possible."

No worries. That guy is long gone. Frankly I'd be surprised if he was still alive.... walking heart attack waiting to happen.

Its pretty rare that I let blow-hards like that establish them selves with me anymore. As old as I am now, I can see them coming and when they lose it the first time I'll just invite them down to HR to discuss it. Of course, being 6-2 and 220 with a bit of attitude myself, well, that helps too.

Life is too short to put up with that crap.

[Aquinasfan]

“You see the same characteristics with apes and chimps in the brain,” Weiner said. “But where as humans we grew the frontal cortex (search) to curb our impulses to put someone down, these gorilla bosses have dysfunctional frontal cortexes.

Hmmm... I see. And here I thought these guys were just a-holes.

[ol painless]

"we argued over weather I quit or was fired"

Who won the argument?

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Always wondered about those sore elbows of mine?

[Cecily]

I'm with you. My advice is to declare war on these fools silently, and try to get them before they get you. In the meantime, keep an eye out for opportunities to get far away from them, either within your company or elsewhere.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

This isn't news to anyone who's been in the workforce for more than a week.

[glorgau]

The proper action is to justify his/her paranoia and hurt them while you can. It is just plain wrong to let someone cause pain and not get some back. Old Testament versus New Testament if you will.