Turn Your Worst Boss Moments Into Your Greatest Leadership Growth with Mita Mallick
In this episode of the Influence Anyone podcast (previously Legend Effect), host Howie Chan interviews Mita Mallick, a powerhouse executive, a LinkedIn Top Voice, a trusted advisor to some of the biggest brands on the planet, and a best-selling author and speaker. They delve into what makes a boss bad, and how we can flip the script so that bad behavior becomes a blueprint for better leadership.
The discussion emphasizes that everyone can be a bad boss at some point, but that doesn't mean we have to stay bad. Mita shares practical strategies and tools for us to catch our bad boss moments and come back into being good leaders. She also offers brilliant advice for employees to navigate working for bad bosses.
Episode Breakdown:
04:38 The biggest retention tool we have is currently under attack
07:40 Mita's biggest bad boss moments and the transition into the boss role
11:09 Three factors that make us fall into bad boss behaviors
13:20 Strategies to build self-awareness and become a better boss
16:14 A simple approach to build trust with your team that won't backfire
20:01 Medusa: the baddest of Mita's bad bosses
23:47 The 5Ds of bystander intervention to become a better colleague
29:03 Why people don't intervene in a toxic workplace
34:16 Self-work foundations for good leadership
39:39 The pregnancy penalty and intent versus impact
45:59 Three truths of human behavior that Mita discovered
49:40 Brilliant advice and tools for working better with your boss
53:48 Two messages Mita would leave for every boss
54:47 A letter to Mita Mallick’s younger self
From Our Guest:
Pre-order the book, The Devil Emails at Midnight, out September 30, 2025.
Learn more about the 5Ds of Bystander Intervention at Right To Be.
Quotes:
“ Have you noticed the engagement on your team shifting and changing? And how many of us have the courage to look in the mirror and say, 'Do I have something to do with that?' Or am I gonna blame everything else?” – Mita Mallick
“ I know there's still Medusas out there in the workplace. I know people still behave this way, and just because you are getting a paycheck every two weeks doesn't give you permission to disrespect or humiliate or devalue people.” – Mita Mallick
“ I hope that we have more courage and humility in the workplace. That's what I think we're in desperate shortage of right now.” – Mita Mallick
The Influence Anyone Podcast
The #1 podcast on applied influence psychology. Each episode, Howie Chan, a veteran brand and behavior strategist sits down with world experts and practitioners to uncover the hidden psychology that helps you influence yourself (mastering your mindset, habits, and decisions) and get buy-in from others (your team, clients, and audiences.) Together, we turn science into playbooks you can apply to lead, persuade, and create extraordinary success.
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