While I never watched The Apprentice, Donald Trump wouldn’t have won an election without it. Another legacy of this show is the normalization of toxic boss behavior.
It was on full display when federal workers got dismissed due to poor work performance, despite excellent reviews. Gaslighting in the twenty-first century workplace means you can present hard evidence to prove merit, and leadership will deny or ignore it. By negating an employee’s accomplishments, any talk of raises or promotion are avoided, leading to bigger profits and bonuses.
Besides gaslighting, there is the expectation of tolerating insults or disrespect just because you receive a paycheck. “You should be happy you have a job” is the standard response when attempting to discuss problems in the workplace.
Hand in hand with the gaslighting and verbal abuse is the false bonhomie that comes with toxic leadership. Memos use first names, and officially the workplace is open to new ideas… until you express a new idea that does not align with leadership. Then, you are “not a good fit” and “don’t understand the organization’s culture”. Of course, the twenty-first century workplace embraces innovation, but it needs to be the right kind.
Thankfully, I only spent part of my professional life in the post-Apprentice era. My students, however, will discover very quickly how little worth is placed on competency, skills and knowledge. Sycophancy is all if you don’t want to get fired.
I’m Frances Jaeger, and that is my Perspective.
