Mary, the Crafty Conniving Fraudster & Horrible Leader

Once upon a time at a workplace, a snowstorm hit and the county placed a limited travel warning up. On this day, three (3) highly qualified candidates were scheduled for interviews and one (1) barely met the qualifications needed, but recruiting scheduled that individual in anyway.

The senior vice president had a quirky personality – intelligent, forward thinking artist mindset, odd social skills, and always busy. Her priorities were simply removing responsibilities and giving them to someone else. The person needed to be highly knowledgeable and skilled. That would make the transition smooth. This was a director’s seat with a fast track to vice president. The snowstorm, driving ban, and candidates rescheduling didn’t sit well. The highly qualified candidates and HR were working on getting rescheduled.

Mary showed up. Unaware of the travel restrictions and businesses closing early. Which was what the organization was in the middle of; closing sending employees’ home. As the snowstorm worsens, the company’s emergency protocols are in action. The barely qualified candidate was annoyed and rude to the receptionist and guard; demanded that she have her interview.

So, the interview happened.   

HR was shocked to learn that Mary had been hired for the role. The interview process was to be a three level (1^st, 2^nd, and final interview), other higher ranking and some mid-level managers would be involved and then the most qualified individual would be hired.

And so, it began. A poor decision that just kept on giving.

The first month was rocky, with personality conflicts. Mary was lacking in just about every leadership skill: emotional intelligence, active listening, critical thinking and strategic planning, and integrity. Also, struggled to understand the industry, yet her resume boasted ten years at corporate level (which turned out to be not true).

But as any conniving fraudster does, uses deflection and seeks out those with similar no integrity traits. Because when you happen to fall into a golden boat filled with money, prestige, and power – the consuming thought is I need to keep this. Not I need to gain these skills, a better industry understanding, or basic level of competency. As month turned to years, Mary’s manager grew tired of everyone asking her why she hired her – the answer: she showed up.

This is an example of ‘how did this person actually get hired or placed into that role?’ The hiring manager bypassed the process and made a horrible decision. There were signs, red flags, and regular comment and valid concern. Mary’s manager did what a lot of professionals do, try to save face and pretend the situation is not that bad – when is really is that bad.

The best thing about Mary was her predictability. All knew who her favorites were and her playbooks to cause unnecessary problems. She wasn’t respected, many mocked her to her face and behind her back. In department meetings she threw hard-style, a piece of candy going 80 mph are an employee’s face. She would ‘thank’ those who asked questions (ones she couldn’t answer). Employees learned not to ask questions, or you would be pelted. Legend has it, one employee asked a question and told her (front of the group) – keep the candy in a bowl or charges would be filed. No more candy was at meetings.

An email went out randomly, instructing that for any company paid event, we had to order cupcakes from one of her favorites. Who happened to be opening a business while on the clock. If a department didn’t order cupcakes, they had to explain why. At an annual charity event bakers would submit their offers for others to purchase – all proceeds would go to charity. Except for the cupcake princess, she was paid to produce her bake goods.

Words travel, as they do at any workplace, and those survivors revolt in funny ways. All refused to buy any cupcakes – a complete snub. Not one sale. Mary was also well known for never washing her hands after using the bathroom, so anytime the executive level hosted an employee’s appreciation lunch and serve, even with gloves on no one would accept a scope from her catering dish. It was obvious how unliked she was.

Her favorites were called the ‘Twatties’; each had individual identifiers and not one was appropriate, but all were funny. Each one she promoted on favoritism; failed in their roles. It became difficult to flow work, the employees under them had to literally find ways around them to complete their daily work. They understood priorities.

When three of her favorites imploded in a span of a year. One proudly told an embarrassingly private story, in the large cafeteria, that flew around the building, and it wasn’t something forgettable. It ruined any changes of future promotion. It was that level of bad and not good look for Mary. Another one charged a large amount on their business credit card, for plastic surgery (accidentally and didn’t think anyone would catch it). It was caught. And the final one was a complete monster mentored by Mary personally. Biggest problem? Once you create a monster, it doesn’t mean you can control it.

The monster with support from Mary had a wild in front of everyone’s face affair with a married man, that man was the son-in-law of an employee. Friends of the daughter had to witness it. In meetings – in your face. In the elevator – in your face. Walking down the hall – in your face.

The employee had to take a leave of absence from the stress; her daughter and grandkids life was falling apart. The sickest part was Mary’s approval of it all. She defended it and didn’t care, because she had a complete lack of empathy. Through every one of her failures as a leader, her ugliness aways shined through.

Being the crafty conniving person that she was, used this time to take a final kill shot at her now former manager. The manager that hired her because she showed up. The manager who did not terminate Mary, when she should have. The manager who did not impede any promotion Mary got.

The same monster, who was having the affair blew up at her current manager. Screaming personal level vicious insults at the woman. Conduct that would get anyone walked out. Those left on the floor were stunned and afraid to move.

Managers that were in offices on either side of the monster manager, both slammed their doors shut. Calls were made to Mary. Calls were made to security. Texts were made. At the farthest end of the floor; the call center group, behind a floor to ceiling glass divider, were imitating the game Whack-a-Mole, bobbing up and down, watching the tirade.

The co-worker on the other side of the monster, divided by a cubicle wall, literally did a modified version of an army crawl, duck walk over to another’s cubicle across a 15-foot span of open floor. It’s important to note that the woman was in her sixties, with walking disabilities – that’s how unstable to eruption was.

It didn’t help that the company recently had evacuation training with active shooter scenarios. Hence why those, frozen and most slide to the floor. A co-worker, braver than the real managers in hiding, walked over to monster and calmly spoke to her. Got the monster to follow her to breakout area.

The employees trapped, sprang into action got their belongings and bolted to their cars. The monster’s boss was one of them. Only the call center remained. The next morning, we all received the communication that the monster’s boss was no longer with the company. She was terminated by Mary.

When one opts to become a protector of awful monsters, they do what they got to do. That monster was assigned to interview for a director role. There were already highly qualified candidates that had finished their interviews and were waiting to hear who was being selected. The role was Mary’s original one, what got her hired. The monster got the role.

The co-worker who was brave enough to speak with the monster and walk her away – she was the top candidate. She was instructed to train the monster for the role – she refused. She had training times placed on her calendar and the monster showed up for all of them. The trainings had to be moved to conference room, because others around the area when it was taking place couldn’t keep side comments about ‘how dumb’ or ‘airheaded’ the monster was.

The entire purpose for moving the monster into that role; gather dirt or anything that can be used to get that senior leadership member terminated. It worked; Mary’s original boss was terminated. The monster failed so badly in the role, Mary moved her to a project manager role.

Mary’s story didn’t end with her as an amazing leader. She reached her personal goal, to targeted and toppled, a woman who literally created the blueprint and structure of the organization and many other pieces that skyrocketed the organization to what it became. A well respected professional.

Monsters can’t operate or compete on proven knowledge, experience, skills; they aren’t subject matter experts on anything. So, they use the currency of ‘dirt on someone’s fear, and perfect manipulations. Mary during an event with plus ones – accidently slipped to a manager’s wife about an inappropriate affair.  

Mary and the ‘twatties’ are what’s know as toxic cancer in an otherwise healthy company culture. When individuals reach certain levels of leadership and they make these poor decisions, if a lawsuit is filed against the company, then, they would be held fully responsible – legally liable.  

Frauds can’t compete with true talent.

Mary, the Horrible Leader and Crafty Conniving Fraudster, Karma was not kind at all.

The monster was toppled. It was well deserved.

The sequel – Wanders Garage Sales