Episode 15: Dealing with an Abusive Leader with Erin Norton

In Silicon Valley a lot has been said about not tolerating “brilliant jerks” - people who are high performers, but are also bullies, rude, disrespectful and unprofessional. Companies tout valuing culture over results. But in spite of that, I have had the misfortune of working closely with at least three leaders who were bullies and created a toxic culture in their teams. After talking to my friends and coworkers, I have realized I am not an exception. Many people have had similar experiences at their workplace and it made them miserable. Some decided to leave rather than put up with the kind of stress that came with being in such a situation. While working through challenges is an important part of professional growth, working with bullies is where I draw the line.

When Erin talked about her experience of being pushed to the edge by an abusive leader, it struck a chord with me. Do not miss this episode where Erin shares her unseen battle, and offers her learnings of how to hold on to your mental peace if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Erin Norton is the Director, Technology Planning & Programs for Customer Service Technology at eBay. She is also Chief of Staff for this organization. After teaching public high school for a few years, she transitioned into technology and has never looked back! She has worked for several companies in a wide variety of roles spanning product, legal, operations. She now leads a team of over 70 individuals spanning vendor management, program and technical project management, employee engagement, comms and content management. She is a mother and wife and enjoys travel, outdoor activities and spending time with her family.  

You can also connect with Erin on LinkedIn.

If you have any comments about the episode or would like to share your own story, please share below. I would love to hear from you!