Finally, we meet the Weasel.  Weasels are always negative, personally  and professionally. They operate from a profound sense of insecurity  that clouds their existence and drives them to destroy, for the strangely  misguided sense of fulfillment it provides them.  They have no regard  for honesty, relationships, long-term credibility, or friendships.  Perhaps they came from sad and tragic backgrounds, and their stories may  leave you filled with pity.  Or maybe they just popped up from the wrong  side of the gene pool.  But they are cancer to a relationship or company.  And like cancer, they are also clever at disguising themselves.  I’ve worked with people for months, even years, believing them to be  competent Workers or even Warriors, before discovering they were  Weasels of the worst kind.

The saddest thing about most Weasels is that they are typically talented people, but because they are driven by insecurity, they choose to  concentrate on negativity instead of succeeding based on their talents.  Through early identification of Weasel-like traits, one might be able to  stop an impressionable young person from degrading into a Weasel.  It is essential to develop strong Weasel radar to keep your company healthy  and happy.

Weasels tend to be strong in personality, which can make them difficult to identify at the onset.  They may initially appear to be a Warrior or  Worker.  But the core trait of a Weasel is to instill confusion and distrust  within his or her structure.  Trace back a nasty rumor mill, and usually  there was a Weasel involved in its initial development.  Weasels delight in  stirring up trouble between factions, fueling it with distrust, rumors, and  outright lies.  They will claim to be everyone’s friend, while not honoring  any friendship.  Every motivation they possess is designed to fill their internal void, and true friendship is almost impossible for them to attain.

Due to their aggressive personalities and relentless methods, they can  often become successful and achieve positions of power.  And there is nothing tougher than dealing with a Weasel-controlled business.  They constantly find reasons to berate those they work with and avoid paying their  bills and other obligations.  Weasels take great delight in the perception  that they have taken some advantage or won some battle—even if their  opponent did not realize they were in a competition.

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