Understanding Others at Work: Reviewing ‘Surrounded by Idiots’

How can I make sense of each person’s responses when they are so different to mine? Can I really understand how people think and respond in different situations? Will this help me get on with others better? 

Key points: 

Am I surrounded by idiots at work and in my personal life? Perhaps I am the “idiot”?   

I had seen this book in many bookshops. The original version written by Thomas Erikson was released in 2014 (in Swedish and English in 2019), so it is not new. I had it on my “I need to read that” list. The version that I have read and am reviewing is the “fully revised and expanded” version published in 2025: “The four types of human behaviour and how to effectively communicate with each in business (and in life).” 

The title Surrounded by Idiots is compelling. Let’s be honest, who hasn’t felt that from time to time – at work, on the road, at public gatherings, watching TV or even at home, that you have been surrounded by idiots? 

The opening story… relates to a successful businessman who felt all his employees were idiots and by that he meant anyone who didn’t think or act like him was an idiot.

The book was written for people “who wish to improve their relationships with people around them”. The opening story setting up the context for the book is compelling because it relates to a successful businessman who felt all his employees were idiots and by that he meant anyone who didn’t think or act like him was an idiot.

So this book aims to help us comprehend how people think and act and respond so we can understand their motivations, thinking and responses. 

He uses the DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness) model and its four colours to help see four broad categories people fit in. The question he asks is how could we seek to improve the way in which we relate to and deal with different types of people?

Obviously, everyone is different and we all respond to things differently but that doesn’t mean if they respond differently to you they are idiots. Perhaps one could ask oneself am I the idiot? 

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Erikson provides a helpful summary of each behaviour on pages 17 and 18 in setting out context. 

There are helpful chapters on each colour and what they mean and focus on. He talks about who gets along and why, the pros and cons in each style and the understanding of perceptions. Importantly, he talks about adapting your style so you can work with others, even those who don’t naturally go together. 

If you feel you are in a stage of your career where you need help in getting to grip with those you work with, because you perhaps feel they are “idiots” or help you not to be the “idiot”, then this book might be helpful as you go along your journey. It may help you communicate more clearly with your colleagues, bosses, clients and understand their motivations better. It may help you understand how to respond to them and their demands effectively and to get the decisions and outcomes you need. 

The book is well written, easy to read and has excellent and humorous anecdotes that illustrate his points and is clearly popular. 

I want to note that while I found the book interesting, it wasn’t for me. I appreciated the analysis, the explanations of colour in the DISC model and the different characteristics that come with each colour, including the importance of understanding yourself and colleagues. Nonetheless, it just didn’t do it for me. 

⭐⭐

Published by Penguin Random House updated edition 2025.

Feature image: Penguin Australia