Warning: A VP told me my passion was "too distracting" during a review - and it broke something in me

I was in a quarterly performance meeting at a mid-size marketing firm in Austin 3 years ago. The VP looked me straight in the eye and said my enthusiasm for campaign ideas made other people feel insecure. I thought being excited about your work was a good thing, but he made it sound like a flaw. Has anyone else had a boss criticize something that seemed like a strength? How did you bounce back?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_ward22d ago

Did you ever figure out if that VP was just jealous or genuinely trying to help? Honestly, I had something similar happen at a startup where my manager said I was "too creative" for their processes. Took me a while to realize some bosses just want you to fit a box, not stand out.

the_fiona22d ago

3 years at my old agency and I actually had a creative director tell me my work was "too original" for their client base. Like, sorry I didn't just re-skin last year's campaign with different colors. That VP situation you mentioned reminds me of my buddy who got told his proposal was "too ambitious" - turned out the VP was just mad he hadn't thought of it first. Blew my mind when I realized some higher-ups see fresh ideas as a threat instead of an asset. You're spot on about the box thing, some people really just want a warm body in the chair that follows the rules.