d59KNYm

Nice Suit. Would a Snake Wear Such a Nice Suit?
11
and a measure of contempt, often deriding their abilities and
competence. To those she found useful to her career, however, she
was gracious, engaging, and fun. She had a talent for presenting
her good side to those she felt mattered, all the while denying,
discounting, discarding, and displacing anyone who did not
agree with her decisions.
Helen developed a reputation for telling the corporate staff
what they wanted to hear, stage-managing meetings with the executive
team as if they were Hollywood productions. She insisted
that her direct reports follow the agreed-upon scripts, deferring
any unexpected or difficult questions to her. According to her
peers, Helen was a master at impression management, and she
successfully manipulated her boss, intimidated direct reports,
and played up to key personalities important to her.
Picking up his drink, the man looked around the tavern. The
place was quiet except for the noise from the back room. The visitor
asked for another drink, putting his credit card on the bar. O’Hare
poured the drink and placed it on the bar, taking the credit card to
run a tab.
With the government fiasco behind her and Gus out of the
way, Helen let loose some of her domineering management style.
Histrionics were common during staff meetings, and participants
often felt bruised, battered, and humiliated at the end of
their meetings with her. She would stomp around the new office
complex—which she had leased because she wanted a bigger
office—without acknowledging others, barking out orders and
generally intimidating, frightening, and pushing people around.
This was a total departure from the values embodied in
Bailey, a man whose door was always open, and who routinely
made the rounds of the staff, soliciting new ideas to improve the
business. Bailey valued his people and amazed new staff with
his ability to remember their spouses’ names and children’s sports
accomplishments. Bailey was a people person who was not only