In an environment where being an asshole or being perceived as an alpha male (when more likely the person is behaving like an alpha-moron) is de rigueur to get ahead you must think through whether this is the path you should take:
- to follow in their footsteps
- to cope
- to leave
If you are a manager or a project manager then the type of environment you create can have a dramatic impact on the team’s productivity. “The No Asshole Rule” by Stanford professor Robert I. Sutton is a great resource to figuring out how to deal with-in your team and with-out your organization (double entendre intended).
Very often people forget that being overly aggressive and be hurtful. Punishing people by demeaning does not necessarily result in better performance – but instead builds resentment and reduces the commitment people feel towards their job. When the hostile manager, VP or C-what-have-you thinks it is working, it is more likely because of the innate work ethic that people have and they are barely putting up with it for other reasons.
The book does a great job of covering all facets and consequences of assholes in the work place and don’t let the name fool you – this is a great well thought out book and can be a great asset to you. It is a surprisingly easy read and very engaging – much better than some other books on the topic of hostility in the workplace.
So before you decide to become an asshole or choose to persist in working for/with an asshole for personal reasons then this book will be a valuable resource.
If you decide that coping is the option for the short or long run then you can also read Albert Ellis’s book: How To Keep People From Pushing Your Buttons
SO! Do you work for an asshole or an environment that promotes being an asshole? What is the experience like? Do you think it is a good idea? Are there better ways to motivate people? Or are you an asshole who thinks being angry, demeaning and threatening to fire people is the best strategy to motivate people and build a winning team 
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