Why The Office’s bad bosses continue to resonate

Through my two decades of experience as an executive coach, I have worked with hundreds of real-world equivalents of managers and bosses like The Office’s David Brent, Michael Scott and—with the brand new Aussie version of the show—Hannah Howards.

Why are we still obsessed with these bad bosses? And more importantly, why do we laugh at them when they represent some of our deepest frustrations at work?

Let’s break it down

Bad bosses hit close to home. The recent independent report into Nine Entertainment, Australia’s largest media company, found systemic abuse of power, bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment across the organisation. The toxic behaviours detailed in the Nine Entertainment report—public humiliation, belittling comments, and aggressive leadership—are shockingly common in many workplaces. It’s the real-life equivalent of the worst traits we see in characters like Michael Scott or David Brent.

In real life, no one’s laughing. Yet, when we watch characters like Michael Scott fumble through a diversity training session, or David Brent sing an awkward self-penned anthem at the office party, it’s cathartic. It’s almost healing. Why? Because we’ve lived it.

So many of us are disengaged at work: 70%, according to Gallup. And more often than not, the root cause is poor leadership. We’re laughing at these fictional leaders, but we’re also laughing at the absurdity of the real-life situations we’ve endured.

Why are these bosses quite so bad? Through my coaching work, I’ve encountered dozens of problematic leadership types, but they generally fall into seven distinct categories, as defined by researcher Julie Diamond. Diamond has developed the Diamond Power Index (DPI), a survey tool measuring how a manager uses power across a scale in each of the seven areas. They are:

Intimidating vs. Approachable

Inappropriate vs. Respectful

Disengaging vs. Empowering

Conflict-Averse vs. Conflict-Competent

Preferential vs. Fair

Indiscreet vs. Diplomatic

Indulgent vs. Judicious

Unsurprisingly, characters like Michael, David, and now Hannah, check several of these boxes—usually on the wrong end of the spectrum. And while it’s their more approachable and empathic moments that endear us to them, their mishaps in other areas are what make them so memorable. Let’s unpack a few.

Inappropriate vs. Respectful

Perhaps the most obvious and glaring flaw of these bosses is their complete disregard for appropriateness. Whether it’s Michael Scott’s tasteless jokes about race, gender, or sexual orientation, or David Brent’s cringe-inducing attempts at humour, these characters thrive on breaking every rule in the corporate handbook.

Steve Carell, who portrayed Michael, has even admitted that anything close to his version of The Office probably wouldn’t get made today because of how inappropriate the humour was. But that’s part of the allure—these characters say the unsayable, and we laugh precisely because we know it’s wrong.

Conflict-Averse vs. Conflict-Competent

One of the most painful yet hilarious traits of The Office bosses is their inability to handle conflict. They avoid confrontation at all costs, tiptoeing around difficult conversations or delegating the tough stuff to someone else.

Yet, ironically, their actions (or inaction) create conflict constantly. Michael Scott is terrified of making his team upset, yet his inappropriate behaviour does just that—leaving us to laugh at the absurdity of his self-inflicted problems.

Preferential vs. Fair

These bosses also fall woefully short on fairness. Michael and David are masters of favouritism. They make it no secret who their favourites are—Michael with his overt adoration of Ryan, David with his misguided attempts to be “one of the lads.”

As we watch them treat their employees unevenly, it’s a reminder of a core management principle: fairness and impartiality are essential for healthy team dynamics. Yet, because these characters break this rule so openly, it’s strangely entertaining.

So why do we keep watching? Ultimately, watching these bad bosses flounder gives us a rare opportunity to laugh at our own work struggles. They’re exaggerated versions of the managers we’ve encountered, but the pain and frustration they represent are all too real. And through laughter, we find a bit of healing and perspective.

So, next time you’re pulling your hair out over a micromanaging or conflict-avoiding boss, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone. Somewhere, a David Brent, Michael Scott, or Hannah Howards is probably offering a wildly inappropriate solution to the same problem.

Dr Paul Donovan is a leadership expert and author of the book Bosses Behaving Badly

topics david brentdr. paul donovanIntersection reportMichael ScottNineThe Office

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