Unmasking Jerks at Work: A Conversation with Tessa West

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAofu_lyVcc

Discussion Summary

In this no-nonsense interview, we sit down with Tessa West, the author of Jerks at Work, to unpack the seven toxic workplace behaviours that quietly undermine teams and morale, from micromanagers to credit stealers and kiss up/kick down climbers.

We explore what inspired her to write the book, the symbolism behind that iconic stapler on the cover, and why so many organisations unknowingly reward the very behaviours that drive good people away.

We also dig into the root causes. Is this a leadership problem? A cultural blind spot? Or something we’re just too used to tolerating?

Tessa shares powerful insights on how these jerks thrive in modern workplaces, how remote work and AI are shifting the game, and what needs to change if we want more engaged, trusting teams.

If you’re tired of toxic dynamics being brushed off as “just part of the job” or ever wondered why bad behaviour gets a free pass at work, this conversation is for you.

Here are the questions I asked:

01:07 – Who is Tessa West

02:00 – What’s behind the actual title name?

03:18 – Why this book? What is missing?

05:07 – Why just these seven toxic behaviours?

06:50 – Did you consider other behaviours?

08:30 – Are toxic behaviours a symptom or a byproduct of poor leadership and organisational culture?

10:20 – What is the Kiss Up/ Kick Down Jerk?

12:20 – Is it often being mistaken for high performance?

13:25 – Are organisations rewarding Kiss Up/Kick Down behaviour?

15:15 – Who suffers the most from such behaviour?

16:15 – How does “merit” based recruitment or promotion affect the Kiss Up/Kick Down behaviour?

18:50 – What is a Micromanager?

20:30 – Why is the Micromanager the most prevalent “jerk”? What’s driving it?

23:05 – What is the difference between promoting someone who is good at their job compared to good at managing people?

26:10 – How does Micromanagement affect morals and trust within the surrounding group of co-workers?

27:57 – Reasons for why people leave their work

29:23 – How does negligence come into this equation? What is a neglectful boss?

31:20 – What is the positive element of being a micromanager?

32:45 – Is there a specific industry that micromanagers strive for?

34:12 – From the seven toxic behaviours, did you find that certain types are more tolerated or even normalised in specific industries or corporate cultures?

36:10 – Which of these jerks do you think causes the most long-term damage to teams and organisations?

37:40 – How do you see these toxic behaviours evolve with the rise of AI?

40:10 – Are these behaviours becoming more prevalent or even more difficult to detect?

42:37 – To what extent do these toxic behaviours fuel disengagement or how does disengagement fuel these toxic behaviours?

44:28 – How much responsibility should leadership bear for enabling or ignoring these toxic behaviours?

47:10 – With declining trust and rising workplace toxicity, is the future of employee engagement a race against burnout and disengagement, or can organisations genuinely turn the tide?

50:46 – What’s the idea behind the “stapler”?