"Every workplace seems to have one. A manager who goes silent for days, then suddenly reappears in the team chat the moment senior leadership checks in. They'll swoop in to take credit for the work they hadn't touched, and say, "Oh yes, we've been addressing that." This type of boss shows up when there's an audience, then vanishes as soon as the higher-ups leave. I've started calling them the performative manager, because that's exactly what they are."
"To performative managers, actually leading isn't really the point. All they care about is looking like they're leading. Performative managers care more about optics than outcomes, and their favorite project is themselves. It sounds like something out of a bad office comedy, but it's a reality that's become easier to spot as more work happens online. A Resume Genius Report found that 62% of Gen Z employees face high performance expectations but little support, and more than half rarely get feedback from their managers."
Performative managers prioritize appearing to lead rather than delivering support or results. They focus on optics, take credit for others' work, and reappear only when senior leadership is present. Remote work and online team channels make performative behaviors easier to spot. Many Gen Z employees face high expectations with little managerial support and infrequent feedback. Manager behavior strongly shapes team engagement, meaning a performative manager can lower morale and productivity across a department. Common signs include promises of help without follow-through and disappearing when direct support is needed, forcing employees to seek help from peers.
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]