Every HR pro has a horror story or two (or twenty) about that manager—the one who turns even the best-run HR team into an emergency response unit. Whether it’s the panicker, the procrastinator, the bully, or the know-it-all, these folks leave emotional and operational debris in their wake.

But here’s the thing—we’re not just here to vent. We’re here to diagnose, dissect, and deliver actionable ways to deal with these walking case studies in “what not to do.”

Let’s break it down.

1. The Chicken Little

“The sky is falling!”—every single morning.

This manager thrives on panic. Every issue is a five-alarm fire, and their chronic anxiety infects the entire team. Over time, it erodes trust, drives up turnover, and makes HR feel like crisis managers rather than culture builders.

The Harvard Business Review article on The Neurobiology of Trust offers an indirect but sharp insight here: managers who constantly react without context sabotage the very trust that keeps teams glued together. And let’s not forget the mental load. According to Psychology Today, chronic exposure to anxiety—yes, even secondhand—can tank employee productivity and satisfaction.

The problem is many managers seek the role because of their addiction: adrenaline. They love the feeling of being a hero in an emergency so even when there is not one, they will create it. Psychologists refer to this as “crisis addiction”—a behavioral loop where individuals become psychologically dependent on the stress hormones triggered by high-stakes scenarios.

These managers thrive in dysfunction because it validates their need to feel irreplaceable, constantly pulling their team into reactive mode rather than building sustainable systems. Over time, this erodes trust, drives burnout, and kills innovation—because no one can think strategically when they’re always in survival mode.

For HR, it’s exhausting. From mediating drama that never needed to exist to re-coaching the same behaviors for the twelfth time, Chicken Little managers are a force of friction.

What to do:

  • Coach them using SHRM’s guide on resilience.
  • Pair them with a mentor known for calm decision-making.
  • Loop in regular feedback sessions where peers can help reframe what’s urgent vs. what’s noise.

2. The Procrastination Pro

When you ask about Q3 plans and they say, “Q3 of what year?”

They fly by the seat of their pants—and crash just as often. This manager procrastinates, winging it until the last second. The result? Missed deadlines, overworked teams, and chaotic delivery.

Forbes explores the real cost of procrastination—lost revenue, delayed results, and a whole lot of preventable stress. The American Psychological Association connects unmanaged workplace stress directly to poor health outcomes, absenteeism, and burnout.

According to psychologists, many who procrastinate in management positions suffer from decision paralysis rooted in fear of failure. They delay action not because they lack the tools—but because taking action means being accountable for the outcome. So they stall, distract, or overanalyze until the clock runs out… and the team pays the price.

I have found myself and the HR department sucked into this whirlwind of procrastination. One particular project was stalled throughout the entire company because one leader forgot about the deadline. What happened? My team and I had to stop what we were doing and go help the leader do the necessary assessments, tasks, etc to get the project back on track. It was a waste of time and resources.

What to do:

  • Set check-in rhythms and deadlines together—don’t just assign and hope.
  • Help them adopt simple tools like shared calendars or task boards.
  • For systems that make accountability the default, take another look at Effective HR Strategies in the Modern Workplace.

3. The Bully

“Motivating through fear” is not a strategy—it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Workplace bullies aren’t just abrasive—they’re expensive. They destroy morale, increase attrition, and invite real legal risk. A Workplace Bullying Institute report found that 30% of employees experience bullying directly, and many more suffer as witnesses.

MentalHealth.gov notes that bullying can lead to anxiety, depression, and decreased job performance—and that’s assuming the employee sticks around.

What adds insult to injury when bullying is carried out by the manager: it often goes unreported. The study above reported that over 60% of targets don’t report the abuse, often out of fear of retaliation or disbelief that anything will change. When the bully is in a position of power, silence becomes a survival strategy—one that leaves lasting damage on both the individual and the culture.

For HR, this particular manager can be deadly if left unchecked. I find many bully managers are able to fly below the radar because they manage up and over very well. Their direct managers only see the good side of them and the bullies create deep relationships with their HR partners as well. This allows them to control the narrative while controlling their teams.

I will admit that early in my HR career, I was very close to a leader who I thought the world of. He always performed, his leaders loved him, what would have led me to believe he was such a bully to his team? I learned through an investigation on his team all of the tactics and processes he used to keep his team under his thumb. It was a hard lesson to learn and i hate that so many employees suffered for my blindness.

What to do:

  • Use SHRM’s guidance to build and enforce anti-bullying protocols.
  • Empower employees with transparent reporting mechanisms.
  • Involve legal when necessary and act decisively.

We explore more of this terrain in Creating an Empathetic Workplace Culture.

4. The Know-It-All

Technically right. Practically unbearable.

This manager is the loudest voice in every room and the last to ask a question. They steamroll others, shut down new ideas, and mistake confidence for competence. It’s a textbook case of the Dunning-Kruger effect, which Psychology Today breaks down beautifully.

When leaders don’t listen, good ideas die on the vine. Engagement drops. Innovation disappears. HR is left to clean up the emotional mess.

Harvard Business Review discusses how listening isn't a “soft skill”—it's a competitive one. Building a culture of feedback, as Inc.com describes, gives you a system for accountability and growth.

My experience has taught me that often, these types of managers have an extreme need for validation. It’s something missing from their childhood or homelife so they go overboard when at work. Their need for this validation is exhausting for their teams and for their HR partners. As an HR partner, you have to strike the delicate balance of building the manager up while not feeding the validation beast. If you have mastered this strategy, please message me and teach me.

What to do:

  • Facilitate structured 360° feedback sessions.
  • Coach on active listening with real-world examples.
  • Reinforce these strategies through Breaking Down Feedback Walls.

Final Thoughts

HR isn’t just about process—it’s about people. And sometimes, the people who need the most support aren’t direct reports; they’re the managers who shape your culture.

Recognizing destructive patterns, intervening with purpose, and equipping leaders with the tools to grow—that’s how we transform problems into potential.