Conflict with Narcissists in Corporate America.

I was working with reckless leaders who threw their weight around.

Three years into my career, I became the Sales Manager in Central Illinois, which was as much a training camp for future Region Managers as a real manager’s position.

I was supporting my boss in executing his Annual Area Sales Training Meeting, an event with all the sales reps and managers, including many manufacturers who supplied us with products.?

The Most Tenured Area?VP.

The famous, confident, and outspoken Herb Vonderbash was my boss.?

Herb was very successful at achieving his financial goals and had a legacy of developing future successful managers.?

Kind, but with a wicked sense of humor.

Herb was closing the meeting with an inspirational speech. Then he paused and said: “I have an announcement to make. Mike who has been leading the Central Illinois region is being promoted to the Region Manager in Louisville. Congratulations, Mike and let’s give him a round of applause.”

There was applause and people came up to me to say congratulations. I had a confused look on my face.

The problem was that this was a surprise. Herb had not informed me, let alone offered me the job.?

I was shocked and angry. I felt disrespected. Herb simply made the decision and decided to announce it without telling me.

Not Happy with Herb, But No One?Cared.

Herb said, “Mike you don’t seem excited about your promotion.”

I said to him, “There have been discussions about closing the Louisville facility and that puts me and my family in a compromised situation. Your announcement was a complete surprise.”

“Mike, that decision is not imminent, and Les can't run both the Cincinnati and Louisville regions. The Louisville sales reps need support and oversight.”

“Herb, you didn’t inform me of this opportunity before you announced it.”

“What would you have done Mike, turn the promotion down?”

I met with the Director of Human Resources immediately after meeting with Herb, and he wasn’t any help.?

He said, “Herb can do anything he wants given his tenure and track record.”

Welcome to Louisville Mike.?

Entering my second month in the role, the area operations manager, contacted me. Jim asked me to gather information about the facility, a list of material handling equipment, leases, and square footage of the facility.

I was suspicious.

He shared with me the following. “Mike, I need your help analyzing whether we should close the Louisville facility and if so, which facilities would optimize the logistics. We must keep this confidential because a leak would be disruptive.”

“Herb told me this wasn’t imminent. Yet it seems to have accelerated.”?

Jim said, “Mike, I am just doing my job.”

“I am happy to support you Jim, yet this could end my career. We close this facility and I lose my job. So, it’s a pretty tough ask.”

We concluded that the customer base in Kentucky and Southern Indiana would be better served by the newer St. Louis and Cincinnati distribution centers. The Louisville facility was not big enough and a new facility was too expensive.

Fill rates would improve given the size of the distribution centers in those cities and customer service could be absorbed without adding positions.?

Slam dunk decision.

The Recommendation Meeting.

Herb scheduled a meeting with his boss to review and get approval on the recommendation to close the Louisville facility.

I was nervous yet, proud to be entrusted to make an objective recommendation about the facility when it was my facility and if it closed, I might lose my job.

Not a word about what would happen to me had been discussed.

Jim and I presented our findings and recommendation to close the facility to Herb and his boss.?

They asked questions and very seriously considered all the facts.

Then I heard them say, “We agree that we should close the facility.”

Ringing in my ears. My mouth opened and closed like a drowning fish. This is going to?happen.

I looked at each one of them and they were saying something, but I couldn’t hear his words.

Then I could hear Herb’s boss ask me with an evil smile on his face, “What does this mean for you, Mike? What are you going to do once the facility closes?”

My brain said I should be asking those questions.

They all started laughing like this wasn’t a serious topic.

Herb’s boss said, “Mike and Jim, you both have put a lot of work into this assignment and kept an objective view on the topic. I appreciate the recommendation.”?

“Mike, I was kidding when I asked the question about your future. We will figure this out. We wouldn’t want to lose someone like you.”

The meeting ended and Jim and I huddled to identify the next steps.

I have a sense of humor, yet my personality lands on the serious side.?

This situation was not humorous.

Back then, I did not know the word narcissist.?

But I do?now.