The Leech

12/01/2015 01:02PM | 6512 views

The leech can be difficult to spot because he is typically agreeable and excitable.

He is easy to be around and easier to keep around. But beneath the surface, he makes no real sacrifice to achieve success and offers no extraordinary value to coworkers or the venture as a whole. Perhaps he fills an empty seat, but he fills it with little more than hot air. We often call the leeches in our organizations “yes-men” and “yes-women.” They arrive on time and do what they are told, but little else. To spot the leech in a meeting, you must understand the basic rule by which he lives and breathes: Be safe. To follow this rule, the leech will always side with the majority, never question the position of authority, and almost never take a stance of his own.