You might think you’re a supportive, fair, hardworking boss. But what if you’re actually the reason your team dreads Mondays?
That’s the provocative question Mita Mallick, a former Unilever and Johnson & Johnson marketing executive, poses in her upcoming book The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses.
Her central point: bad bosses aren’t born bad — they’re made. And with some self-awareness, the patterns can be unmade.
The book introduces 13 types of bad bosses, based on Mallick’s own experiences and observations. Each one comes with lessons for leaders who want to avoid falling into the same traps.
1. The devil who emails at midnight
One of Mallick’s first bosses barely spoke to her in person but flooded her inbox with urgent midnight emails. Out of fear, Mallick always responded. In 11 weeks, they only had two short meetings.
Fix: Respect boundaries. Make time for your team during work hours, and if you work late, use scheduled send. Be explicit that replies can wait until the morning.
2. The boss who renames you
A manager once told Mallick her real name was “too hard” and started calling her “Mohammed.” Others followed suit. She eventually quit.
Fix: Learn people’s names and use them correctly. Don’t make employees carry the burden of explaining why a “nickname” is offensive.
3. The napper
This boss slept through meetings, delegated everything, and complained about hating his job. Leadership tolerated him, even as his team suffered.
Fix: Tackle disengagement directly. Mallick suggests her “be a mirror” method: give honest feedback, create space for reflection, and develop a clear accountability plan.
4. The chopper
This manager demanded to be cc’d on everything, nitpicked tiny details, and rewrote work that didn’t need redoing.
Fix: Stop micromanaging. Focus on outcomes, not control. Ask yourself: is this really about quality — or about your need for control?
5. The white rabbit
Everything was a crisis with this boss — last-minute huddles, moving deadlines, constant chaos.
Fix: Define urgency. Mallick uses “Define, Prioritize, Protect” to set boundaries and prevent burnout from endless fake fire drills.
6. Medusa
This leader yelled at staff, humiliated people over small mistakes, and even threw a shoe at a colleague.
Fix: Fear doesn’t equal authority. It destroys trust and innovation. Leaders should focus on respect and psychological safety.
7. The great pretender
After Mallick announced her pregnancy, her boss sidelined her projects and piled on “quick asks” while she was on leave — all while posing as a champion of working moms.
Fix: Ask people what support they want. Don’t assume. Well-meaning bias can still rob people of opportunities.
8. The grinner
Charming, kind, always smiling — but incompetent. This boss offloaded everything onto his team.
Fix: Kindness isn’t enough. If you’re in over your head, ask for training, guidance, or reconsider whether managing people is right for you.
9. The cheerleader
This boss drowned reality in positivity, ignored challenges, set impossible goals, and blamed the team when they failed.
Fix: Replace toxic positivity with grounded optimism. Acknowledge problems and help solve them instead of smiling through them.
10. Gossip Girl
This boss spread rumors, leaked confidential info, and used gossip as leverage. Mallick nearly lost a workplace friendship after being falsely accused.
Fix: Don’t engage in gossip. Build transparency and set norms that stop rumor-spreading before it starts.
11. The spotlight stealer
One boss plagiarized Mallick’s work, copied her self-review, and even asked her to email fabricated praise to his boss.
Fix: Let people present their own work. Good leaders share credit; bad leaders hoard it.
12. Tony Soprano
When Mallick looked for internal opportunities, her boss called her a “rat,” tried to block her transfer, and forced her to quit.
Fix: You don’t own your team. Support their growth, even if it means letting them leave.
13. The grieving boss
After her father’s death, Mallick admitted she became withdrawn, reactive, and inconsistent — exactly the kind of leader she warned others about. A team member quit before she realized the impact.
Fix: Be honest when you’re not okay. Take time off, set clear expectations, and don’t ignore grief. Unacknowledged pain can ripple through a team.
Mallick’s message is blunt but hopeful: no one sets out to be a bad boss. But unless leaders reflect on their blind spots and behaviors, they can easily become one.