A reader asks how to deal with a Gamma male manager:
Longtime reader here– loved Corporate Cancer. Got me thinking about my current job hence the question: How should one deal with working for a gamma male manager? Seems pretty common to have this in government and utilities but I’m finding this type is more and more common in management in large organizations.
It really depends on the SSH delta between the manager and the employee. A Delta or Omega will probably be all right. Alphas and Bravos probably will not. Fellow Gammas should be fine. Sigmas probably won’t be in that position in the first place.
The key is to understanding whether he feels threatened by you or not. As soon as you observe signs that your manager is feeling threatened by you or envious of you, you should focus on getting out of his group or department as soon as possible. Because, just like the former Big Bear fans who have now spent months attempting to attack him and his family, once the gamma male turns on you, he’s not going to stop attempting to harm you until either a) you are gone or b) he perceives a new and more pressing threat to his status and self-regard.