5 Things That Kill You on the Way to the Top
A warning for the overly ambitious
Do they call you a despot and an asshole? They say you would sell your own mother for a career? Can’t remember the last time you took a vacation? It’s possible that work has warped your identity and value system. What sets you apart is your tenacity, your drive, your desire to impress the world. You could bestow your ambition on an entire industry. People of your type always go above and beyond the plan — the above-mentioned qualities have undoubtedly contributed to your successes. But there is also bad news: these same qualities can ruin your self-esteem, relationships and health.
What pitfalls must you watch out for so that your managerial victories don’t take you (figuratively and literally) to the grave?
1. Pressure
Monkeys occupying an intermediate position in the hierarchy experience the most stress, a team of researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool has discovered. The same is true for rank and middle managers, according to Katie Edwards, who spent more than 600 hours observing female maggots around the clock. Those in the middle of the social ladder were more likely to engage in conflict with both higher- and lower-ranking female colleagues. In contrast, the lowest-ranking members of the herd avoided…
