Meet Marie. You might know someone like her. Marie is a wholehearted person doing the best she can. Based on a true story, the author, Josefine Campbell, recounts the journey of Marie, a product manager who is both a boss herself and has a boss, Martin. When he exhibits selfish leadership, Marie functions as a buffer shielding her team from the negative impact of his behavior. However, his actions take a considerable toll on her both professionally and personally.
12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader is for individuals at any level of the organization. As a middle manager, Marie is balancing the demands of her team and senior leaders—a challenge many will relate to. Ultimately, Marie is an individual trying to manage a difficult colleague, something we all have encountered in our professional lives.
A study revealed that 57% of respondents left a job due to their leader, underscoring the significant role leadership plays in employee satisfaction and retention. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to leave a selfish leader, nor should this be the only option available to people. Instead, the new book from Copenhagen-based top coach, Josefine Campbell, 12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader provides an alternative. In addition to necessary change from the top, Campbell empowers the individual by offering twelve immediately actionable and accessible tools that equip readers with strategies to protect their well-being and energy. You cannot control your manager’s behaviors, but you can control your response.
These tools help manage the day-to-day reality of interacting with difficult leaders and also empower people to cultivate a more positive workplace culture for all. For example, by using the exercise of the Power Barometer, the author demonstrates how sustaining energy levels and protecting boundaries is essential for mitigating the effects of a selfish leader and fostering resilience.
The book tracks Marie’s experiences working with a coach as she learns how to tackle selfish leadership dynamics, rediscover her true self at work, and reignite personal energy. Drawing on her own background as an esteemed executive coach and hands-on experience working with multinational corporations, Campbell is deeply attuned to the current challenges of the modern workplace and the necessity of personal energy management. These unique insights have fueled the guidance offered in the book.
12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader empowers individuals and leaders to combat selfish leadership and embark on a path of self-discovery and personal growth. Marie’s story serves as an example for everyone, guiding individuals and organizations to break free from selfish leadership for good, unlock their true potential, reclaim their authentic selves at work, and, most importantly, contribute to creating a better workplace for all.
About the author: Josefine Campbell is a Copenhagen-based executive coach. Campbell inspires and coaches leaders, teams, and talents in large organizations such as McDonald’s, Deloitte, Pandora, Novo Nordisk, and Carlsberg Group. Previously, Campbell was a serial entrepreneur and an external lecturer at Copenhagen Business School. Her first book, published by Armin Lear Press in 2023, is Power Barometer: Manage Personal Energy for Business Success.