November 06, 2025

Transforming Workplace Culture: Insights from Mita Mallick, Author of The Devil Emails at Midnight: Leadership Lessons from Bad Bosses

39 minutes

In this engaging conversation, Lori Adams-Brown interviews Mita Mallick about her book "The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses." Mita shares personal stories and insights on leadership, workplace culture, and the impact of bad bosses on mental health. The discussion covers the importance of self-awareness, setting boundaries, and the role of personal relationships in professional settings.

The genesis of Mita's book started with a personal experience of her mother's home being flooded.

Mita found an old notebook with stories about bad bosses, which inspired her book.

Fear-driven workplaces may achieve short-term results but harm long-term culture.

Mita shares a 'water test' to identify toxic workplaces during interviews.

Setting boundaries is crucial for respect and inclusion in the workplace.

Personal relationships can complicate professional decisions, especially in leadership roles.

Mita emphasizes the importance of self-care for effective leadership.

The conversation highlights the normalization of toxic behavior in workplaces.

Mita advises doing reference checks on potential employers.

The book encourages readers to learn from bad bosses to become better leaders.

My special guest is Mita Mallick

Mallick is a highly sought-after speaker who has advised Fortune 500

companies and start-ups alike. She is a LinkedIn Top Voice and was named to the Thinkers 50 Radar List. She’s a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Adweek, and Entrepreneur. Mallick has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, Forbes, Axios, Essence, Cosmopolitan Magazine and Business Insider. Mallick holds a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Learning from Bad Bosses

The Devil Emails at Midnight

Leadership Lessons from Mita Mallick

Navigating Toxic Workplaces

Setting Boundaries for Success

The Impact of Bad Bosses

Self-Care in Leadership

Identifying Toxic Workplaces

The Role of Personal Relationships in Leadership

Transforming Workplace Culture

Key topics: leadership, workplace culture, bad bosses, mental health, self-awareness

"The Devil Emails at Midnight"

"Fear kills culture in the longterm"

"Set boundaries for respect"

"Personal relationships complicate decisions"

"Self-care is key to leadership"

"Normalize toxic behavior in workplaces"

"Do reference checks on employers"

"Learn from bad bosses"

"Water test for toxic workplaces"

"Respect is a basic need"

00:00:01 Introduction and Book Overview

00:00:29 Inspiration Behind the Book

00:01:27 Fear-Driven Workplaces

00:02:27 Impact of Bad Bosses

00:04:10 Setting Boundaries

00:07:30 Personal Relationships in Leadership

00:11:39 Self-Care and Leadership

00:18:54 Cultural and Personal Background

00:25:20 Advice for Navigating Workplace Dynamics

00:30:51 Conclusion and How to Connect with Mita

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By Lori Adams-Brown

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