"Machiavellian Bosses view the universe as an enormous pyramid. There is one spot at the top and it belongs to them, by divine right. It is not about you. And it will never be about you, except for the moment you are actually in their way."

"An absence of effective communication will ultimately lead to conflict."

"The more feedback you gather, the richer the data pool. The richer the data pool, the more willing you should be to toss your contradictory opinions out the window."

"It is much easier to address important issues if the conversation is continuous. Don’t take your team member by surprise. Catching someone off guard produces instant defensiveness."

"MR. PEABODY: "People who are content and confident in their work tend to be highly motivated and eminently more productive. They collaborate more freely with peers and colleagues, and cooperate better with those they report to..."

"Some idiots are granted the freedom to do whatever they want to do - and have unlimited resources to do so. They will also receive complete anonymity on demand, no accountability - and not lift a finger to make it all possible."

"I've seen heads of families bypass talented, capable, loyal, dedicated, lifelong employees to hand their businesses over to a son or daughter. Typically, the first generation establishes the business, the second generation grows it, the third generation barely sustains it, and the fourth generation destroys what is left."

"Clinging to unrealistic expectations, we can become our own worst enemies."

"Whether you like it or not, any time two or more people get together to do anything, a culture emerges."

"People don't learn much about themselves or others while they're succeeding in spite of poor practices. When the real outcomes reflect the real work being done, the real learning begins."

"When people's hopes and expectations are built up only to be demolished, they become a lot harder to motivate."

"There are people who think they're God. Thinking you're God transcends God Bosses play church. ...He is playing God to compensate for a tremendous lack of confidence.'"

"Never l mind the stories of how one person, against all odds, proved the rest of the world wrong. Those things happen about as often as people are struck by lightning while cashing in their winning Lotto tickets."

"Lose the battles to win the war. Ask for forgiveness. Acknowledge his presence. Don't make the mistake of ignoring him. His ease is your ease. If your attitude is resentful, he will bring thunder and lightning on your head and on the heads of your coworkers."

"Why must intelligent people suffer from worry, fear, and anxiety while idiots sleep well at night?"

"When you have a bad boss, chances are that somebody is up to no good."

"Masochistic Bosses make sure their departments fail so upper management will deal out punishment."

"If you are truly adverse to regular, meaningful conversation with your team members, you can skip straight to conflict."

"Classical management theory would have us believe that the fastest way to get a square peg through a round hole is to use a bigger hammer."

"There is no question that How to Work for an Idiot: Survive and Thrive ... Without Killing Your Boss... is a subversive book. People will pick it up expecting a tasty blend of commiseration and advice. They will put it down thinking, to rephrase the famous line from the cartoon character Pogo, "We have met the idiot, and he is us.""

"Good Bosses are aware that sharing information in a thorough, timely manner makes people feel included, respected, and acknowledged for their ability to contribute. And they are receptive to feedback - all the time."

"Good Bosses treat those with more power the same way they treat those with less power."

"People who habitually speak positively of others tend to do so in all circumstances. Those who tend to criticize others in your presence and recruit you to agree with their cutting remarks will probably criticize you when you are out of the room."

"Being a Good Boss is so easy, it makes you wonder why anyone would invest the extra effort and energy required to be a bad one."

"Good bosses provide a constant flow of clear and concise information and encourage you and the rest of your team to do the same."

"Uncertainty always leads to uneasiness."

"Once you have become a transcendent idiot - one who can reflect upon his personal condition and circumstances—you can no longer wander back into the idiot population and disappear."

"The only stupidity we can deal with is our own."

"Admitting powerlessness is the first step to recovery. Subsequent steps will reveal who has the power and how you can tap into it to achieve your own serenity."

"The equitable treatment of all team members is nearly as important in the workplace as communication."

"You are ultimately your own boss, even if you report to someone else."

"Sometimes what appears to be an idiot is just a regular person with idiosyncrasies."

"Note what types of behavior they approve of and start behaving accordingly."

"Don't feel dirty or guilty for kissing up. It's survival."

"Idiots lack imagination, coupled with the tunnel vision - means the ship will be submerged before they realize it hit an iceberg. You not only need to do or say things that warrant attention, you need to exaggerate them so much he can't possibly fail to notice."

"You can't let your I-Boss know you're training him."

"Your I-Boss may have a greater emotional investment in getting things done right than he is willing or able to admit."

"Deliberately scheme how you can be a positive influence in your working environment."

"This reporter, who invited Dr. Hoover to lunch recently in hopes of learning definitive ways to spot idiots and thwart them before they do too much damage. She came away feeling like, well, an idiot. But not to worry: Dr. Hoover, who has a master's degree in family and marriage therapy and a doctorate in organizational dynamics, says idiotism is a treatable condition. He said his book... is as much a primer for I-Bosses as it is a balm for their beleaguered subordinates."

"What purpose is being served by keeping idiots oblivious to the carnage they create?"

"Many people who avoid talking to one another are the people that need to be engaged in conversation the most."

"If an employee does something wonderful, an I-Boss might feel a twinge of humiliation. He can take steps to make the employee feel what he's feeling. That's why team members who do good things are routinely embarrassed or humiliated by their I-Bosses."

"If an I-Boss isn't sure whether something a team member does is good or bad, he is likely to err on the side of bad and seize control of the situation."

"There is nothing more miserable to a boss than a detractor."

"Telling Sadistic Bosses what they want to hear, like "...ouch," will only get them charged up to do more punishment... Try pretending you're a masochist. If your performance is convincing... you'll be out in a flash."

"Fairness in the office simply means applying the rules fairly, equally, and without regard for workplace political alliances."

"If a woman has her PhD in physics, has mastered quantum theory, plays flawless Chopin, was once a cheerleader, and is now married to a man who plays baseball, she will forever be "former cheerleader married to star athlete.""

"Never, ever ask a former clergyman to say the blessing over a holiday dinner. Not if you like your dinner warm, anyway."

"Don’t never depend on somebody else to take care of you, sugar. Trust in the Lord, and then you just take care of yourself, and things will work out fine."