The Empire Builder – Difficult Person Type 6

Empire Builders are the big personalities in the workplace: full of charisma, brimming with confidence, and often looking like natural leaders. They can inspire people to follow them almost anywhere. But when the pressure is on, that confidence is often revealed as bravado, and things can get very difficult. Dissent isn’t tolerated, complex issues are ignored, and anyone who challenges them may find themselves out in the cold.

In this video I explain how to recognise an Empire Builder and why their style can cause so much trouble when problems get complicated. More importantly, I share what you can do to handle them effectively: how to gain their trust, build open consensus with colleagues, and help them steer through the challenges they’d rather avoid.

This is type six in my series on the Nine Types of Difficult People, based on my book The 9 Types of Difficult People: How to spot them and quickly improve working relationships. If you want practical ways to turn tough dynamics into great working relationships, you’ll find them here.