Before Mocking Managers and Bosses Online, Understand Their Reality!

Every week, I scroll through LinkedIn, Instagram, or even WhatsApp forwards and see a familiar sight: posts mocking managers and bosses for being “inhuman,” “unempathetic,” or “too demanding.”

• “My boss rejected my leave again.” 

• “Was asked to log in on a weekend. Who does that?” 

• “Targets, targets, targets. No care for mental health.”

Let’s face it. We’ve all either posted something like this, shared it, or silently nodded in agreement. And to be fair, many of these frustrations are real. There are toxic workplaces, unreasonable demands happen, and constant micromanagement kills creativity. But here's the thing no one talks about…

Managers are not villains. Not every boss is toxic. Some are just tired, trying, and taking hits you’ll never hear about.

They're under pressure too; sometimes more than you can imagine. I’ve worked both as an employee and now as a business owner. I’ve seen both sides of the fence. Let me share a quick story.

A few years ago, while working with a mid-sized IT firm, I saw the HR Head break down after a town hall meeting. Why? Because she had been trying to get approval for team bonuses for months. But the company was struggling to retain a large client, and until revenue was stabilized, no extra expenses could be sanctioned.

The employees in the meeting openly criticized leadership: "You always expect more from us, but don’t give anything in return!" But what they didn’t see was this same HR leader working weekends, negotiating with finance, and even offering to cut part of her own budget to get those bonuses approved.

That moment hit me hard. Most employees only see the tip of the iceberg; e.g., their tasks, their manager’s tone, their performance reviews, etc. But the pressure of keeping a team together, meeting investor expectations, and ensuring monthly salaries go out without fail? That’s the part that’s underwater. And it’s heavy.

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Leadership: With Power Comes Responsibility

People in leadership roles aren’t just chasing numbers for fun. They are responsible for keeping the lights on. For instance:

• If a sales team doesn’t meet its target, the company loses clients.

• If the project team delays delivery, contracts are at risk.

• If there's a drop in quality, brand reputation takes a hit.

This is not just about corporate jargon. It's about real consequences like job losses, business closures, pay cuts etc.

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Here’s another quick story.

A friend of mine runs a growing startup with 15 employees. When a few team members quit without notice last year, he had to handle client calls himself, code late into the night, and manage payroll without dipping into employee salaries. During that time, one of his junior team members posted online: “Startups exploit freshers. No work-life balance. Founders only care about money.” That post went viral. However, no one knew that the founder had borrowed money to pay salaries that month. No one cared that he was quietly trying to keep everyone’s job secure.

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So, Should Employees Not Speak Up? Of Course, They Should.

• Speak up if you’re overworked. 

• Ask for clarity if expectations are unrealistic. 

• Demand respect and psychological safety.

  
  

But in doing that, remember: mocking managers online isn’t helping anyone. It adds to the noise, not the solution.

Let’s pause and ask:

• What’s the intent behind my boss’s push? 

• Are they simply trying to hit numbers, or are they trying to secure our future, too? 

• Am I doing my part with full commitment?

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Growth Is Mutual

The best companies I’ve worked with had this one thing in common: mutual empathy. Managers understood their teams. Teams understood their managers.

You don’t have to agree with your boss all the time. But try stepping into their shoes once in a while. Because when your team performs well, your boss wins. And when your boss wins, the business grows, and you grow with it.

In a Nutshell:

• Bosses are not heartless machines; they’re under pressure too.

• Every decision they make may come with context you don’t see.

• Growth in any career requires collaboration, not blame games.

• Before posting that rant or meme, ask: Is this solving anything?

Let’s stop mocking each other and start understanding each other.

Have you ever paused to think about what it’s like to be in your manager’s shoes? The pressure might be heavier than you think. Drop your comments. Let’s have a conversation, not a confrontation.