Solving the Problem of Abrasive Leaders

A free webinar series for those who manage,
work with, or work for abrasive leaders…

…and who want to know how to stop
them from being so abrasive.

…and who want to know how to stop them from being so abrasive.

Abrasive leaders rub their coworkers the wrong way. Commonly referred to as workplace bullies, their destructive management styles erode motivation, engagement, innovation and productivity.

But getting them to stop being abrasive?

Now that’s the challenge.

Maybe you’ve tried talking to them, giving them feedback, setting boundaries, standing up to them, sending them to training, or even bringing in a coach or complaining to HR/their boss.

But their capacity to defend and justify themselves seems limitless. All too often they turn the tables on one: they’re not the problem, you/others are.

The reason these approaches don’t work is that they are rooted in profound misconceptions on who the abrasive leader is, why they do what they do, what it takes to get them to see and care about their impact, as well as what it takes to motivate them to change.

To solve the problem of abrasive leaders we need to start by dispelling the myths about them.

And then use abrasive-leader specific strategies.

An awesome, thorough, brilliantly multi-perspective webinar series. Thanks to the webinars I am confident about intervening - and intervening well. Sue gives us next steps that actually work!
Briana Jacoba
S.T.E.M. Consultant
Sue approaches this challenging subject with compassion and sensitivity. And the webinar content is very stimulating---logically extensive, emotionally aware and deep, somatically aware, and filled with practical applications of accurate research. It's real quality stuff.
Len Anspach
Director of Strategic Development
The Details
More details on each webinar are below.

More details on each
webinar are below.

Length

Each webinar will be 

  • 30 minutes of teaching
  • 30 minutes of Q&A.
UpSell?

These are educational webinars. There is no upsell or offer at the end.

But yes, I do coach abrasive leaders.

Anyone who would like to explore possible coaching with me – either for themselves, or for a leader they manage – is welcome to schedule a confidential follow-up call with me.

When you register, you subscribe.

You’ll receive a few emails from me on how I work with abrasive leaders, so you get a sense of who I am and whether I can help. 

You’ll also receive my newsletter as a subscriber.

In addition, you’ll receive webinar-specific emails with the Zoom links, links the recordings afterwards, and a few reminders that the webinars are happening.

Confidentiality
This is such a sensitive topic and many people might be concerned about attending and confidentiality. A few things:
Join Us!

Register using the form below. You’ll get access to what you need to participate in the webinars, and access to the recordings after.

When you register for one webinar, you register for all three. Attend whichever ones you wish.

Register

I've attended other webinars by Sue on trauma. She is someone who genuinely and authentically seeks to make the world a better place to live.
Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey
Leadership Development Consultant, UK
Webinar 1

Rough Diamond or Poison in the Water?
The Conundrum of Abrasive Leaders

This webinar has happened. 

Register to access the recording right away. 

They’ve been called snakes in suits, hyena’s, psychopaths and many other names.

But are they?

I’m no apologist for abrasive leaders (a.k.a. “bullies”). They cause hurt and harm – even trauma – to both the individuals affected and the organization as a whole.

And…failing to understand them means we consistently apply the wrong solutions and use strategies that won’t work.

In this webinar we’ll cover:

In this webinar we’ll cover:

What I found especially helpful was how Sue shared that abrasive leaders don't always understand the impact they are having; that their behavior can come out of their own insecurity. And also how to deal with the objection "I'm not responsible for other people's perception of me."
Caroline Hopkins
Women's Empowerment Coach, South Africa
This has been a great series. It's helped me empathize with an abrasive leader, which has produced progress.
Kathy
USA
Join Us!

Register using the form below. You’ll get access to what you need to participate in the webinars, and access to the recordings after.

When you register for one webinar, you register for all three. Attend whichever ones you wish.

Register

Webinar 2

Protecting the Organization’s Mission:
How to Intervene with an Abrasive Leader

Webinar has happened. 

Register to access the recording right away. 

Many HR leaders and managers feel challenged with what to do with an abrasive leader who is too good to fire, too expensive to keep, and who has been resistant to change and feedback on their interpersonal style.

In this webinar we’re going to watch two scenarios play out: an unsuccessful intervention and a successful intervention. 

And then we’ll draw out the lessons learned in each. 

You’ll walk away armed with how to respond to their highly predictable defensiveness, and how to avoid bruising fact battles that you can’t win.

Not in a position of authority? I still encourage you to attend. Here's why.

Yes, ultimately it is only those who have authority over the abrasive leader who have the real power to intervene.

But even if you are not in a position of authority over the leader, I encourage you to attend this webinar as understanding what management needs to do to intervene effectively (and why they so often don’t) will help you as you develop your own strategy and approach (Webinar 3).

In this webinar we’ll cover:

In this webinar we’ll cover cover: