When Dinosaur Bosses Rule the Office: How to Survive the Corporate Jurassic Park
Adam Gray, DBA
* ?? Leader * Dr. in Business * New-Age Leadership Advocate * Father of 3 Energetic Boys * Husband Extraordinaire *
Some workplaces are full of energy, fresh ideas, and forward-thinking leaders. Others? Well, they feel like a poorly maintained dinosaur exhibit—complete with roaring executives, fossilized policies, and an ecosystem that hasn't evolved since Windows 95 was cutting-edge.
If your company is ruled by Dinosaur Bosses, you’re probably dealing with leaders who resist change, fear innovation, and believe the best ideas were invented in the '90s (or earlier). Instead of leading the company into the future, they’re sinking it into the tar pits of irrelevance.
But don’t worry—this survival guide will help you navigate the corporate Jurassic Park without getting eaten alive.
1. The T-Rex Boss: Big, Loud, and Always Watching
The T-Rex Boss believes fear is the best motivator and thinks their sheer presence keeps the company running. Their leadership style is based on roaring, stomping, and reminding everyone that THEY are the apex predator.
?? Signs You Have a T-Rex Boss:
You hear them before you see them.
Their response to any challenge is volume, not logic.
If they ever admit they were wrong, check for hidden cameras—it’s probably a prank.
?? Survival Tip:
Stay still. If they can’t see you, they can’t attack. Just kidding—your best bet is to anticipate their outbursts, prepare data to counter their nonsense, and never, ever show fear.
2. The Velociraptor Boss: Smart, Sneaky, and Always Plotting
Unlike the T-Rex, the Velociraptor Boss doesn’t need to yell—they manipulate things behind the scenes. They specialize in office politics, secret alliances, and taking credit for things they never did.
?? Signs You Have a Velociraptor Boss:
They smile at you while secretly setting you up for failure.
They know exactly who to blame (hint: it’s never them).
They always have a scapegoat ready before anything even goes wrong.
?? Survival Tip:
Keep receipts. Screenshot emails, document conversations, and have witnesses when they assign you work.
Act unpredictable. If they can’t predict your next move, they can’t manipulate you as easily.
3. The Stegosaurus Boss: Harmless but Stuck in the Past
Not all dinosaur bosses are aggressive—some are just so outdated that they’re slowing everything down. The Stegosaurus Boss isn’t dangerous, just completely out of touch.
?? Signs You Have a Stegosaurus Boss:
They still refer to fax machines as “cutting-edge.”
They ask if a PDF can be printed and then emailed back.
They just discovered LinkedIn and now send connection requests to employees who already work there.
?? Survival Tip:
Slowly introduce them to new technology. Start with small changes—maybe show them that PDFs can be signed digitally before tackling the concept of cloud storage.
Teach them new ideas by comparing them to something they already know. Example: “Slack is basically email, but faster and with fewer accidental ‘Reply All’ disasters.”
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4. The Triceratops Boss: Defensive and Resistant to Change
The Triceratops Boss isn’t trying to destroy the company—they just think every new idea is an attack. Any attempt at innovation is met with stubborn resistance and a speech about how things were “better before.”
?? Signs You Have a Triceratops Boss:
Their favorite response is “That won’t work here.”
They think remote work is a “fad.”
They only approve ideas that are almost identical to existing ones.
?? Survival Tip:
Frame new ideas as extensions of what they already do (e.g., “This isn’t a new process, it’s just a modern version of what we’ve always done!”).
Get someone they respect to suggest the change—peer pressure works on dinosaurs too.
5. The Brontosaurus Boss: Moves Slow, Blocks Progress
This boss is massive, slow-moving, and completely unaware of the chaos they cause. Their refusal to make decisions holds up every project and leaves employees trapped in limbo.
?? Signs You Have a Brontosaurus Boss:
Approvals take longer than government paperwork.
Every suggestion is met with “Let’s discuss this in the next quarterly meeting.”
No one knows what they actually do, but they sure take their time doing it.
?? Survival Tip:
Give them artificial deadlines (e.g., “The board needs an answer by Friday” even if no one actually does).
Present information in bite-sized chunks so they don’t feel overwhelmed—otherwise, they’ll need another six months to “think about it.”
Final Chapter: Will Your Company Survive the Extinction Event?
The business world is evolving. Companies that adapt, innovate, and embrace change will survive. Those run by Dinosaur Bosses will eventually collapse under their own fossilized ideas.
If your company is full of T-Rex screamers, Velociraptor manipulators, or Triceratops blockers, you have two options:
? Help them evolve (if they’re capable).
? Move on before the meteor hits.
Because in the end, you can either be part of the future—or you can get buried with the past
What’s the most outdated thing your boss has ever said? Drop your stories below—let’s build a fossil record of bad leadership!
Thanks ??
Dr. G.
President, I2S
1 个月Adam, I feel compelled to self-report here (basically because I have been "the boss" of my own small business for just over 30 years, and have no one to blame for outdated thinking but myself). In all honesty, I think some of the best and most enduring ideas were formulated around the 8th century BCE -- but that's a topic for another thread. More recently, I think the 17th century debates (e g., Pascal v Descartes) concerning the nature of certainty absolutely belong in the fossil record. Closer to home, my grandfather and father cultivated in me the conviction, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". My own academic education inscribed the corollary, "Just because we can doesn't mean we should." I readily confess to holding (and perpetuating) dated ideas. Whether or not they are "out"-dated, I will leave for others to discern. Thanks for your witty and clever perceptions!