5 Subtle Clues Your Manager is Steering the Ship with a Broken Compass (And How to Navigate It)

Managers: the architects of productivity, the curators of culture... or, in some cases, the accidental protagonists of workplace satire. If you’ve ever wondered whether your boss’s leadership style is “innovative” or “a cautionary tale,” let’s dissect the five artfully frustrating signs of a leader who’s is less Captain America and more Lost in Translation.

1. Their Micromanagement Could Rival a Puppeteer at a Marionette Show

True leadership is trust. Poor leadership? It’s your manager rewriting your email subject lines, scheduling daily check-ins to discuss your scheduled check-ins, and treating autonomy like a threat to national security. You’re not an employee—you’re a character in their real-time strategy game, and they’re frantically clicking all the buttons.
The Dabbler Fix: Casually forward them an article titled “Why Baby Birds Leave the Nest.” Alternatively, start cc’ing them on calendar invites titled “Time I’ll Spend Waiting for Approval.”

2. Their Communication is a Masterclass in Abstract Art

Clarity is the hallmark of competence. If your manager’s directives sound like a haiku written by a sleep-deprived philosopher, (“Optimize the synergy… but also, think outside the box. Unless the box is blue"), you're not being led—you’re being gaslit by corporate jargon. Bonus points if they respond to follow-up questions with, “You’ll figure it out.”
The Dabbler Fix: Respond with increasingly specific clarifying questions. “To clarify, when you say ‘blue box,’ are we talking Tiffany & Co. or a literal Amazon delivery?”

3. They’ve Crowned a Court Jester (And It’s Not You)

Every team has a favorite. But when your manager’s praise flows like a Renaissance patron commissioning their muse (read: their coffee buddy who “just gets them”), it’s less about merit and more about medieval hierarchy. You’ll know it’s egregious when the office plants get more recognition than your quarterly results.
The Dabbler Fix: Start referring to their favorite as “The Chosen One” in team meetings. Deadpan delivery is optional.

4. Accountability is a Foreign Concept (Unless It’s Yours)

A leader owns their missteps. A manager? They’ve perfected the art of the accountability hot potato. Missed deadlines, botched projects, or that time the client rage-quit? Suddenly, it’s your “lack of urgency,” your “misinterpretation,” or—classic—“a systemic failure” (read: their systemic failure). Meanwhile, your wins mysteriously become “our” wins. How generous.
The Dabbler Fix: Begin retroactive email chains.  “Per your feedback on [date], just circling back to confirm we’re aligned on next steps. Or... are we still blaming the Wi-Fi?”

5. Their Strategic Vision is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Novel

Inspiring leaders have a North Star. Others? Their strategy shifts like a weathervane in a hurricane. One day it’s “aggressive expansion,” the next it’s “lean operations,” and by Friday, it’s “disruptive innovation through mindful napping.” You’re not executing a plan—you’re surviving a improv comedy routine where the audience is shareholders.
The Dabbler Fix: Propose a “Vision Bingo” card for team meetings. Squares include “pivot,” “bandwidth,” and “low-hanging fruit.”

How to Navigate Without Capsizing:

1. Document Like a Historian: If it’s not in writing, it never happened. (See: Their selective memory.)

2. Become a Subtle Mentor: Elevate others’ voices in meetings. Great leaders aren’t born—they’re cultivated.

3. Master the Art of Graceful Pushback: “I’d love to prioritize that. Which of my current tasks should I deprioritize to make room?”

4. Build Alliances, Not Just Coffee Orders: A team that communicates is a team that can’t be gaslit.

5. Know When to Fold ‘Em: If the compass stays broken, sometimes the bravest move is to sail toward calmer waters.

The Takeaway:

Poor leadership isn’t a reflection of your worth; it’s a crash course in diplomacy, patience, and creative problem-solving. Who knows? With enough finesse, you might just become the leader they’ll someday... quote-unquote “learn from.”

If your manager’s idea of leadership is a participation trophy and a PowerPoint from 2009, take notes, stay sharp, and keep your resume polished. The best leaders are often forged in the fires of someone else’s mediocrity.

Share your own tales of managerial absurdity in the comments. Solidarity is the best LinkedIn recommendation. 🧭✨