Or possibly the only people subservient enough to put up with that sort of behaviour are the ones that also fawn at your feet? I’d be out of a company like a shot and letting HR know why on the way past if a manager tried to pull that on me.

>A well-placed "fuck you" keeps people humble. Spare the rod and all that.

>20 years experience, C-level, and my direct reports love me.

I was once part of a volunteer group that had a lot of nastiness. I learned one thing from it. The way to get a group that is very harmonious and on the same page is to ensure the leader is a big enough jerk that whoever disagrees eventually leaves. Those who remain are of the same mindset as the leader.

The toxicity is seeping.