I will never forget this lesson on workplace power dynamics that I learned in college.
In most workplaces, the relationship between a manager and a direct report is like that of a knife and an apple. In a situation of conflict between them, it’s always the apple that gets cut.
It sounds unfair, but that’s how humans operate.
Maybe there are higher-ups who play on a level playing field, but in our not-so-ideal real world, it’s always the subordinates who have to bear the brunt of conflict.
The way to deal with these situations is to mold yourself into shapes to fit your circumstances. You have to roll with the punches.
To quote Bruce Lee, you have to:
be like water; formless and shapeless.
When you do that, you can dodge those cuts deftly in a way that sculpts you into a better, much-refined professional.
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