Advice: My boss preaches company culture on LinkedIn but does the exact opposite at work. What should I do?

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Dear Quota Team, 

I’m a BDR for a fast-growing software company that most people have probably heard of. My job is pretty good and I’m getting some great experience under my belt. After this, I’ll either move up here or land somewhere else, but I definitely see sales as the best career option for me. 

The reason I’m writing is because there’s one thing at work that bothers me more than anything, but I don’t even want to bring it up to my coworkers because it’s a bit cult-y here and I don’t want to get thrown under the bus. 

The problem is my boss. Well, technically he’s my boss’s boss, but he manages the team pretty closely. The guy is a total jerk. He doesn’t even try to pretend that he gives a shit about what happens to us, and treats us as if we’re just numbers on a screen. I once saw him call somebody “useless” on Slack, and he left it up for like three hours before finally going back and editing it. 

But that’s not even the problem. I worked in the restaurant business so I can take bad management. The problem is his LinkedIn persona. He posts on LinkedIn constantly, and the theme is always about “good leadership,” and how being kind to people and valuing employees is so important, and that your sales reps are your most valuable asset. It’s so unbelievably fake, because this guy does NOT lead this way at all. 

I honestly can’t believe he can be so shameless, because if you saw his LinkedIn, you’d think he was the Gandhi of sales leaders. I know calling him out would only cause problems for me, but I don’t know if I can deal with this for another few years, it’s infuriating. What do you guys think? 

Angry in Massachusetts 

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Dear Angry, 

One of the most disappointing things we find out as we get older is just how many people’s public personas are different from their private ones, and how sometimes, shamelessness can actually help you get ahead, not vice versa.


The LinkedIn phonies drive us crazy too, since half (or more) of those viral stories where people humble-brag about how generous or empathetic they are are completely made up to drive traffic, clicks, and attention. It’s definitely obnoxious.

But as you yourself pointed out, calling him on it will only cause problems, and not just because he’s your boss. Your best bet is to keep your head down and do your job well, and to get as much out of the experience as possible. The truth is that if you can perform while working for a boss you can’t stand, you’ll do even better when you work for someone who isn’t deranged. 

You’re on the right track. Keep at it, ignore the nonsense, and take comfort in the fact that you’ll never be one of those clowns pretending to be a saint while being the exact opposite behind closed doors. Good luck!

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