• by George Simpson , Featured Contributor, June 14, 2018

If you read the stories recounted by the Financial Times about Martin Sorrell as a manager and top banana at WPP, you learn that he was an arrogant asshole who was cruel to his reports and pretty much lived by his own rules.

None of this comes as a great surprise, since for years Sorrell seems to have prided himself on being "the tough guy" in the ad business, while, like Trump, using obsequiousness and translucent charm to win and keep business.

I have never met Sorrell, but I have worked for some notoriously evil managers (one of them made a Fortune list of "10 worst people to work for in America”), so I know what it feels like to report to someone so insecure they have to leverage their power to reinforce their own sense of self-importance. I can tell you the experience is debilitating and not worth any amount or money or prestige.

The FT reports that Sorrell's admins tended to leave within a year or so at best.

I recall reading years ago that after men accrue wealth, they go after power. Our nation's capitol is full of proof that this is true. But how you wield that power often defines who you are. Too often CEOs think that Sorrell is a role model rather than someone who deserves disgust and a well-earned exit from the company he founded.

Insecure CEOs often argue that they are only being "tough" because people seem to respond faster and better to being demeaned in front of their peers. Really?  Perhaps in the short run, but at an incalculable cost to the self-images of those individuals.

To me, the worst managers were passive-aggressive, treating me one moment like the son they never had and in the next ripping my head off for something insignificant. This left me feeling uncertain all the time, unsure if the quality of my work was being viewed through the reasonable or the tyrannical lens. I couldn't even feel good about work I KNEW was first-class because the boss's volatility kept me so off-balance. It was exhausting and demoralizing, as I'm sure it was for rest of his reports.

Don't think this is exclusively a male problem. I was around one of the most famous female CEOs of the past 50 years, who could be ruthlessly petty and cruel — even to people who were trying desperately to please her. I spent hours after meetings apologizing for her language and behavior so the folks she insulted would still work with us.

Look, I am sure even the Tim Cooks of this world, who outwardly appear to be empathic, grounded leaders, have their moments when they are frustrated and lash out at their reports. We have all been there.

But I see no excuse to tolerate the Martin Sorrells of this world who lack common courtesy and consideration for their reports. I don't care how well these guys drive up the shareholder value or command attention — there should be a special place in hell for them.