What you can demand from a demanding boss

Get to know the fine print. Forty-one percent of you report being either somewhat (or less than that) comfortable with understanding and negotiating contracts. The thing is, if it's your name on the signature line, you're accountable for the terms being agreed to whether or not you had an attorney involved. As the ultimate signatory of the agreement, you're well-advised to get familiar with every term that's included in the document.

While some may seem confusing or arcane, a good attorney will be willing to walk you through every clause and explain it in easy-to-understand terms. You may find terms in there you don't want to agree to from a business perspective that your attorney is willing to agree to because they don't fully appreciate the business implications too.

Negotiating an agreement carries on well beyond the initial handshake. If you don't understand the final agreement, you might find some nasty surprises down the road when elements of that contract get pulled out. You don't have to be an attorney but you should understand what they're advising you to sign.

-- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: "One Piece of Paper," "Lead Inside the Box" and "The Elegant Pitch."

CEOs must always consider the human element in all of their decisions -- not just "black and white numbers on a page," -- which means asking questions and creating personal connections with those involved and affected, says Nikhil Eapen, CEO of StarHub. "If I cannot fully engage with everyone I meet, then I will not be able to succeed in this job," Eapen says.

Bella, a 14-year-old tabby cat in the UK, is the new Guinness record holder for the loudest purr of any living domestic cat, registering at 54.59 decibels, which is as loud as a kettle boiling. Two other cats, Smokey and Merlin, still hold the record of loudest purr ever at 67.8 decibels, set first in 2011 and matched by Merlin four years later.

Dr. Patrick Gruber, the CEO of Gevo, explains how sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) fits into the wider energy ecosystem, what it will take for SAF to see wider adoption and the hurdles that might be standing in the way. Gruber also details how Gevo, which has partnered with carriers like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines to expand the SAF market, is developing fuels with the potential to be carbon negative.

As the old adage goes, "One bad apple can spoil the bunch." In terms of apples, that's true because a rotting apple emits gases absorbed by the good apples, and they, too, begin to rot.

What's true of apples seems doubly true with your teams. One person emitting the "gas" of negativity can infect the entire demeanor and attitude of your whole team, rotting their productivity and morale from the inside out.

I've experienced this phenomenon firsthand in several jobs, but what destroys morale the fastest is a toxic boss who either perpetuates the rot through their attitude or refuses to pluck the bad apple from the bunch. Anthony Iannarino's advice is sound -- address problems early, make sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities and handle the bad apple by rehabilitating them or showing them the door.

How have you dealt with bad apples on your team? Tell me!

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