Shows / The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
Every workplace has that boss — the one who micromanages, the one who takes credit, the one who makes you dread Mondays. On The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dissect real-world cases of toxic management and teach you how to survive and even thrive under them. Drawing on anonymized stories from Fortune 500 employees, HR whistleblowers, and organizational psychology studies, they map the tactics of difficult bosses: gaslighting, credit theft, impossible deadlines…
Episodes
The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace SurvivalHow to Manage a Boss Who Gaslights You
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle gaslighting in the workplace — a form of psychological manipulation where a boss denies…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Martyr
Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky workplace dynamic: the martyr boss who constantly sacrifices themselves, works crazy hours, and guilt-trips the team into doing…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Survive a Boss Who Is a Chronic Under-Delegate
Episode 50 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles a surprisingly common but rarely discussed workplace pain point: the boss who won't delegate enough…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
What to Do When Your Boss Is a Chronic Micromanager
Micromanagement is one of the most common — and draining — boss behaviors. In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna unpack the psychology…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Hoards Information
Lucas and Luna unpack one of the most frustrating workplace dynamics: a boss who deliberately withholds information your team needs to do its job. They walk…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Says One Thing Does Another
Episode 47 tackles the frustrating boss whose words never match their actions—promising resources they never deliver, agreeing to decisions they later reverse…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Survive a Boss Who Holds You to Unwritten Rules
Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most frustrating workplace dynamics: a boss who punishes you for rules that were never stated. They break down a specific case…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Chronic People-Pleaser
Episode 45 tackles the boss who agrees with everyone, avoids conflict, and leaves you with no clear direction. Lucas and Luna break down a concrete case: a…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Takes Credit for Your Work in Meetings
In Episode 44 of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a specific and painful workplace scenario: your boss presents your idea in a meeting as if…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
What to Do When Your Boss Takes Credit for Your Ideas
Episode 43 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles one of the most frustrating workplace scenarios: having your idea stolen by your manager. Lucas and Luna dive…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Negotiate with an Indecisive Boss
Episode 42 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the frustrating scenario of a boss who can never make a decision. Lucas and Luna break down why some managers…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Avoids Conflict at All Costs
Lucas and Luna tackle a common but under-discussed workplace challenge: the conflict-avoidant boss. This episode uses a real-world case study from a mid-size…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Always Changes Their Mind
Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most frustrating workplace dynamics: the flip-flopping boss who reverses decisions without warning. They break down why some…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Holds Grudges
This episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the challenge of working under a boss who holds grudges long after a disagreement has passed. Lucas and Luna…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is Never Wrong
Episode 38 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the 'never wrong' boss — the supervisor who treats every disagreement as a personal attack and…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Undermines Your Authority
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky workplace dynamic: what to do when your supervisor publicly undermines your…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Takes Credit for Team Work
Lucas and Luna unpack a specific workplace nightmare: the boss who presents your team's achievements as their own. They anchor the episode in a concrete…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Takes Credit for Team Work
Episode 35 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the boss who systematically takes credit for their entire team's work — not just an occasional idea, but…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Never Gives Feedback
Episode 34 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the silent treatment from above. Lucas and Luna explore what to do when your supervisor offers zero…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Is Never Available for Decisions
Episode 33 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the waiting game: what happens when your boss is perpetually unavailable — no decision, no feedback, no green…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Plays Favorites
Lucas and Luna dive into the tricky dynamics of favoritism at work. Lucas shares a concrete example from a 2024 Gallup survey showing 38% of U.S. employees…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Gaslights You
Lucas and Luna tackle gaslighting bosses. Using the real case of a marketing director at a mid-sized software firm, they break down exactly how gaslighting…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Chronic Nitpicker
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle the challenge of managing a boss who nitpicks every detail. They explore why nitpickers…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Chronic Interrupter
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a common workplace frustration: a boss who constantly interrupts you in meetings and one-on-ones. They discuss the…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Chronic Interrupter
Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most frustrating workplace dynamics: a boss who constantly cuts you off in meetings and one-on-ones. They break down why…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Chronic Gossip
Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest workplace dynamics: a boss who gossips about other employees, shares confidential information, and uses chatter as a…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Chronic Nitpicker
Lucas and Luna tackle a workplace survival classic: the nitpicking boss who corrects font sizes, email subject lines, and slide margins as if precision were…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Micromanages Your Every Decision
In episode 25 of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle the soul-crushing experience of a boss who won't let you make a single call on your…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Expects 24-7 Availability
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle the challenge of working for a boss who expects you to be available around the clock…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Survive a Boss Who Blames You for Their Mistakes
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a toxic workplace dynamic that erodes morale faster than almost any other: the boss who…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
When Your Boss Takes Credit for Your Ideas How to Reclaim Ownership
Episode 22 tackles a subtle but maddening workplace dynamic: your boss presents your idea in a meeting as if it were their own. Lucas and Luna dissect a real…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Perfectionist and Never Satisfied
Episode 21 tackles the perfectionist boss—the one who moves the goalposts, nitpicks your work into oblivion, and leaves you feeling like nothing is ever good…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
When Your Boss Takes Sides How to Handle a Supervisor Who Gossips
Episode 20 tackles a toxic workplace dynamic that's rarely discussed: the boss who gossips with subordinates. Lucas shares data from a 2025 Society for…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Is a Chronic Procrastinator
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a frustrating workplace dynamic: the boss who procrastinates on decisions, approvals, and…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Changes Their Mind Constantly
Episode 18 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the frustrating pattern of a boss who reverses decisions without explanation or apology. Lucas and Luna…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Navigate a Boss Who Withholds Information Intentionally
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a frustrating workplace dynamic: the boss who deliberately withholds information to…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Boss Who Hates Bad News
Episode 16 tackles the 'shoot the messenger' boss — the manager who reacts so badly to bad news that employees stop sharing it. Lucas and Luna…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Undermines Your Authority
Episode 15 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles a tricky dynamic: what do you do when your own manager publicly questions your decisions, second-guesses you…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Ignores Your Emails
Lucas and Luna tackle a common but under-discussed workplace problem: the boss who simply doesn't reply to your emails. Drawing on a 2025 study finding…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
The Boss Who Gives No Context How to Work in a Vacuum
Episode 13 of The Difficult Boss Podcast tackles the manager who gives assignments without context—no why, no strategic rationale, just a task. Lucas and Luna…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
When Your Boss Is a Micromanager How to Reverse the Dynamic
Micromanagement is one of the most frustrating dynamics in a career, but it's rarely about the quality of your work. In this episode of The Difficult Boss…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Rehabilitate a Reputation After a Bad Boss Sabotaged You
When a bad boss spreads negative stories about you, your reputation can take a hit before you even know it's happening. In this episode, Lucas and Luna…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Set Boundaries with an Always-On Boss
Episode 10 tackles one of the trickiest modern workplace dynamics: the boss who expects you to be available around the clock. Lucas and Luna unpack a real case…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Handle a Boss Who Plays Favorites
Lucas and Luna tackle a tough workplace dynamic: the boss who openly plays favorites. They use a real case study of a marketing team at a mid-sized tech firm…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Negotiate with a Budget-Cutting Boss
When your boss says there's no budget for a raise, a new hire, or a necessary tool, it's easy to feel stuck. But that 'no' is often a…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
When Your Boss Gaslights You How to Keep Your Sanity
Gaslighting in the workplace is more common than most people realize. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the specific tactics managers use to make…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
The Boss Who Never Gives Feedback and How to Get It Anyway
Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most frustrating workplace scenarios: a boss who simply won't give feedback. Lucas opens with a concrete case from a…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Survive a Micro-Managing Boss
In this episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle micro-managing bosses — the ones who hover, demand constant updates, and erode your…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
The Boss Who Takes Credit for Your Work and How to Stop It
Lucas and Luna tackle a workplace classic: the credit-stealing boss. They break down a real case at a mid-sized consulting firm where a senior analyst named…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
The Manager Who Lies by Omission and How to Handle It
Episode 3 tackles a subtle but corrosive form of workplace dishonesty: the manager who withholds information rather than outright lying. Lucas and Luna break…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How to Manage a Passive-Aggressive Boss
Lucas and Luna break down what to do when your boss communicates through silence, sarcasm, or backhanded compliments — and HR can't help. Drawing on the…
- The Difficult Boss Podcast with Fexingo: Managing Up, Toxic Managers, and Workplace Survival
How a Senior VP Got Frozen Out and What It Teaches About Managing Up
In the debut episode of The Difficult Boss Podcast, Lucas and Luna dissect the true story of a senior VP at a Fortune 500 company who was systematically…