I was sitting in a small, dimly lit bar on a street corner, waiting for a friend who, as usual, was late. I ordered tea, although to be honest whisky would have suited the place better. Two women younger than me, around 35, sat down at the next table. One of them looked exhausted – dark circles under her eyes, a tired voice, her hands nervously picking at the label on her beer bottle. Her companion watched her attentively. I didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but the conversation quickly caught my attention.
“Girl, I can’t take this any longer.” — sighed the woman in the grey jumper. — “He’s a psychopath. Seriously. I don’t know what else to call it.”
“Your boss?” — asked the other, raising her eyebrows.
“Yeah, Marek. The director. You know, at first I thought he was just demanding.” — she took a sip of beer and continued. — “But now I see it’s something more. The guy doesn’t have an ounce of empathy. Recently he fired a woman from finance in the middle of a meeting. He stood up, looked at her and said: ‘Your results are below standard. Pack your things, today is your last day.’”
“Without any warning?” — asked her friend, clearly shocked.
“None!” — the woman confirmed. — “And the best part is, he did it as calmly as if he were talking about the weather. He didn’t even stumble over his words when he saw her eyes going red with tears.”
“Harsh.” — replied the other, shaking her head. — “But maybe she really messed up something big?
“I thought so too, until I saw what he did next.” — the woman lowered her head. — “Two days later, at a meeting, he took aim at me. He asked why I hadn’t finished one of the reports on time, even though he knew perfectly well I had extra assignments from him at the time. When I tried to explain, he cut me off and said: ‘There’s no room for excuses in this company. Results are what count. Either you’re tough, or you’ll find yourself out on the street.’”
There was a moment of silence.
“And what did you do?” — asked her companion.
“What could I do?” — she shrugged. — “I swallowed it. I tried to be even better, more efficient, faster. And he… seemed to enjoy it. I got more and more tasks. Every time I finished something, he already had the next one for me. He was testing me, as if he wanted to see when I would crack.”
“Have you told anyone? Maybe HR?” — she asked.
“Oh, come on… You know what HR told the woman he fired? That it was a ‘business decision’. Besides, Marek is a master at managing his image. To the board he’s a cool professional who always makes ‘tough but necessary’ decisions. Nobody will touch him.” — The woman smiled bitterly. — “Anyway, I wouldn’t dare. Who knows what he’d do to me.”
“So what now?” — asked the other, tilting her bottle.
“Now? I’ve had enough. I’m looking for a new job. A little longer and I’d go mad. I work with people who are afraid to speak up. Everyone looks out for themselves. Zero support. And at every turn he proves he’s untouchable. Sometimes I feel it’s all some kind of game and he’s moving us around like pawns on a chessboard.”
Silence fell.
“You’re right, babe. Better to run. That type is dangerous.”
“And that’s the worst part” — the woman concluded. — “This game isn’t about the company, the results or even the people. Marek wants only one thing: control. And he’ll have it, even if he destroys everyone along the way.”
I sat at the next table, sipping my tea and taking in every word. One question came to my mind: How many more “Mareks” are out there in companies, destroying people and calling it management?
I looked up and saw the woman in the grey jumper slowly finishing her beer, as if she had just made a decision about her future. I knew she was on her way to freeing herself, but I couldn’t stop thinking about those who would stay.
What to do when your boss is a psychopath?
The best advice is to run…. but if that’s not possible:
Document every important agreement. It is your shield if the situation escalates.
Don’t react emotionally. A psychopath draws strength from your fear. Stay calm.
Look for support. Don’t fight it alone – talk to people you trust or get help from specialists.
Know your worth. Don’t let them break you. Sometimes the best way out is a new workplace.
Because sometimes fighting a psychopath at work makes no sense. The bravest act may be to say: “Thank you, I’m leaving.”
