There are those who build and those who tear down.
I’ve seen people pour their heart and soul into building—organizations, projects, teams—and it only takes one person to tear things down. They tear things down for numerous reasons and none are positive. Generally it’s jealousy.
Look for the overly humble. I’ve learned that people who appear to suffer from poor self-esteem are actually bloated with self-esteem. For example, if you, as a manager, hear someone say something like I could never do that project you’re doing; look out because you’re in the presence of a destroyer.
You may not accept this at first. Think deeply. If I admire what you’re doing and sincely don’t believe I could do it, wouldn’t I just say, “you’re really doing an incredible job with that”? Is it necessary to add “I couldn’t do that”?
Pay attention. When you see people who tear down rather than build, show them the door. You can’t fix them and they will cause trouble anywhere you put them.
If they offer to quit, accept. In fact, anybody that’s always talking about quitting should be encouraged to do so because they drag everyone else down. Let them go and don’t invite them back. You will not miss them.
Chris Reich, Author of TeachU’s Business Talk Blog