Dec 15, 2021
Lynn Catalano is a Speaker,
Toxic Workplace Coach, and Corporate Trainer. She achieved
her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, cum laude, at Boston University
and continued her education at the University of Buffalo Law
School. She speaks to groups of all sizes to share experiences
about great leaders and toxic bosses, and she helps people rise
above the chaos. Lynn also discusses her upcoming book,
Wrecking Ball Relationships:
How to Identify, Live With, or Leave the Narcissist in Your
Life.
Key Takeaways
[2:25] It all started when
Lynn’s mother died and she had to deal with a narcissistic
father.
[4:45] Lynn expands on whether
narcissists are born or bred, and if we have any influence on
it.
[7:00] Toxic bosses and leaders
are narcissists, which then manifest into a toxic
workplace.
[8:30] A toxic workplace impacts
the organization negatively. Lynn shares examples of these negative
outcomes both from a company and employee standpoint.
[9:55] Everyone should be held
accountable for their behavior but, unlike the financial aspect of
a company, nobody audits the culture.
[11:45] Having self-awareness
helps check the level of toxicity one can bring to any
relationship. However, narcissists don’t ask themselves if they are
narcissistic.
[13:15] Lynn shares her
recommendation on how to help an individual gain
self-awareness.
[14:40] Lynn explains
what nunchi
is and its importance.
[18:30] Learn how to be a
nunchi master as Lynn shares four steps in achieving
this and how to avoid biases in “reading the room.”
[20:30] Leading with empathy and
reflective listening helps build valuable relationships and
understand what people are going through.
[24:10] There are two steps in
reflective listening. Lynn shares what they are.
[27:35] Reflective listening is
about understanding the other person and having a meaningful
engagement with them.
[28:40] Lynn talks about how
employees can help change company culture. However, dealing with a
toxic CEO can be very difficult.
[29:55] At the end of the day,
an employee should do what is best for themselves. Time is a
valuable currency, and we should be smart about how we want to
spend it.
[35:10] Lynn shares best
practices from organizations she has worked with before and how
others can bring them into theirs to avoid a toxic work
environment.
[39:20] The pandemic was a
shared experience so it allows a different level of
empathy.
[40:25] Listener challenge: Be
more human, be patient with one another, and watch
Ted
Lasso.
Quotable Quotes
- “Emotional neglect plus overindulgence equals
the breeding of a narcissist.”
- “We’ve modeled our democracy through checks and
balances and organizations need that too. That’s why we have
external auditors to audit our finances but not the
culture.”
- “Nunchi is the art of understanding what people are
thinking and feeling.”
- “The great Greek philosopher, Epictetus, told
us that we have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as
much as we speak.”
- “Invest in your employees because happy
employees make happy customers.”
Resources Mentioned