The No Asshole Rule Book Summary

Book Summary

15 min

Brief Summary

Companies should not work with assholes, whether it be an employee or a client. People should avoid assholes at all costs in both the workplace and in their personal lives in order to remain happy and escape adopting their habits.

About the Author

Robert I. Sutton is the professor of management science at Stanford School of Engineering and researcher in the field of evidence based management. He is a New York Times best-selling author.

He received a PH.D from the University of Michigan. He works a Fellow at the designing consulting firm IDEO and has a courtesy appointment as a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Topics

Management & Leadership

The No Asshole Rule Book Summary Preview

Key Insights

It’s no secret that we can all be assholes sometimes.

But, what about those people who seem to be major jerks 24/7?

According to Robert I. Sutton, those are the real assholes of the world.

In his book, “The No Asshole Rule” Sutton shares his views on what an asshole really is, how to deal with them in the workplace, and how to successfully structure a workplace that’s “asshole-free”.

“As much as I believe in tolerance and fairness, I have never lost a wink of sleep about being unapologetically intolerant of anyone who refuses to show respect for those around them.”- Robert I. Sutton

After reading his key insights, you will be ready to take on these hostile characters with the utmost grace.

Assholes in the Workplace Don’t Lead to Success

It’s sad but true, that bad behavior or asshole behavior in the workplace is often left untouched. Management often ignores it thinking that talking about the issue will just lead to more problems. But, as a result, the morale of the employees is left bruised.

When people are not professional and respectful in the workplace, productivity slows. And, other employees start to act out. For example, if the work environment is toxic, they may call out of work more simply because they don’t want to be in that environment.

When your boss is an asshole, humiliation for their employees is common. Employers work in fear of messing up, which causes damaging effects on the person and on the team.

Hard-working and smart employees that mentally register that their workplace is toxic will leave for other positions at other companies that are asshole-free.

The No Asshole Rule

A lot of times assholes in the workplace are overlooked because they are talented and have skills. But, that doesn’t make up for the harm it causes to their team.

All assholes should be kicked out of the workplace at the first sign of disrespect.

An employee that makes others feel as if they are worthless, incompetent, or uncomfortable should not be allowed to stay in the company. Team members who get along and encourage each other get a lot more done.

This rule should also be applied to clients and customers. If they are not kind, they should not be served.

More Equality

It’s been proven that people who are the higher-ups on the ladder are more likely to be assholes. It’s an elitist mindset.

The higher-ups are often more talkative because they feel what they have to say matters more because of their position.

“Winning is a wonderful thing if you can help and respect others along the way. But if you stomp on others as you climb the ladder and treat them like losers once you reach the top, my opinion is that you debase your own humanity and undermine your team or organization.”- Robert I. Sutton

They also take things from the workplace without consideration for the other employees. For example, if a boss goes to someone’s desk and takes their stapler with no intention to return it. Sure, it might be just a little bump in someone’s...