Individuals with these qualities can sap your energy and put a strain on your business.

Being a startup entrepreneur is exhausting–even on the best of days. Entrepreneur recently released the Eight “Top Toxic” personalities to avoid in your life. I believe these apply to both our personal life and our business relationships.

Check out the eight types below and the original article at the bottom for suggestions on handling each situation.

EXCERPT:

#1. Those who are judgmental

Judgmental people will find a way to criticize anything and everything they come in contact with. You could take the time to explain something to them in great detail but it goes in one ear and out the other. They come to their conclusions before they hear any facts – they don’t listen well and are horrible at communicating. Asking for advice or feedback from a judgmental person is a complete waste of time.

#2. Those who are envious

Being an entrepreneur can be a very bumpy journey filled with highs and lows – while it’s important to have a strong group of supporters in your corner during the low times it’s also important to have supporters that are there to congratulate you when you hit the high points. Envious people will not be happy for you – ever. They feel that it should happen to them and nobody else.

#3. Those who are control freaks

Control freaks don’t ever want to listen – they don’t have to, because according to them they know everything and they know the best way to do everything. While this type of person can be a nuisance in your personal life, they are a complete nightmare to deal with in a business environment. A successful business structure requires team members that will listen to and follow instructions. If you have control freaks on your team it can cause a “too many cooks in the kitchen” problem.

#4. Those who are arrogant

Don’t confuse confidence with arrogance – confident people inspire, while arrogant people intimidate and annoy. Someone with an arrogant attitude feels he or she is better than everyone around them. In a personal setting this can be annoying, while in a professional situation this can create an uncomfortable environment.

#5. Those who are victims

The constant victim will always make excuses and blame others for their mistakes and wrongdoing. They are some of the most toxic people to be around – they will never accept responsibility and always point the finger, which causes a domino affect of the blame game in a work setting. Flush them out of your business and eliminate that headache.

#6. Those who are Negative Nancies

Someone who is always negative will drain your positive energy immediately – they thrive on bringing everyone down around them. You will never receive any words of encouragement from a Negative Nancy. They will discredit every idea you have and instead of being supportive they will go out of their way to point out every possible way you could fail, rather than focus on possibilities and potential. They are a major energy-suck.

#7. Those who are liars

To be successful you have to surround yourself with other successful individuals that you can trust and count on to be there for you. You can’t trust liars and it’s hard to count on them because you never know if they are lying or telling the truth. That type of uncertainty will wear you out quickly – eliminate them from your life and you won’t have to wonder if you are being lied to.

#8. Those who are gossipers

People gossip because they are insecure – they don’t know how to separate fact from speculation and when truths get twisted, the wrong information is conveyed, feelings get hurt and enemies are born. Having a gossiper within your business can be very destructive – they are cancers and can quickly create a negative environment.