If you are truly and completely hooked on the Games Of Thrones saga, wait all week in excited anticipation for the next episode, and also have a job and a boss – this blog is for you.
On the other hand, if you’re no Game of Thrones fan, then please move away to read another enlightening article in our blog section as nothing here will make any sense to you.
So back to you GOT fans – which character most resembles your boss?
1. The Cersei
The Cersei boss knows exactly where she wants to get to in her career and is 1000% focused on getting there. She’ll dictate to you exactly what you need to do, and if you don’t follow her directions implicitly, she will have a ruthless response – you could find yourself being overlooked completely when she decides who gets the next juicy task (better than being poisoned / blown up / tortured / sacked), or even being moved sideways to another department (perhaps better all round if you want to survive in the workplace).
She can also be quite brazen about her unorthodox methods and doesn’t really care who knows. So what if she wants to bed her brother / her colleague / the boss to get on in her career – she really won’t give a hoot.
2. The Daenerys
The Daeneyrs boss is fed up with being overlooked. So she insists everyone calls her by her seriously-long-but-no-one-can-remember-what-it-is-apart-from-the-mother-of-dragons-bit formal title – because she knows she has clout.
She also knows she has what it takes to make the company truly prosper but really it’s too tedious because none of the others take her seriously. Maybe it’s to do with her youth or the fact that she lived abroad for much of her life.
Some see her as compassionate – she likes to ensure that the traditionally downtrodden employees aren’t taken advantage of. She’ll fight for their rights because she’s wise and knows the more supporters she has – at whatever level of the company hierarchy – the more secure she’ll be when she reaches the pinnacle.
But now she’s tired of waiting for her chance of success. Her tactics have become more aggressive. If she spies another manager who she thinks can better her career, she will invite them directly into her own office, her own space, her dragon’s den, where she can lay down her terms – let me take charge or you will suffer the consequences.
And these aren’t just empty words. She likes to keep a few tricks up her sleeve to help persuade people she’s right for the top job. Could be some juicy gossip on the CEO….could be knowing who’s sleeping with whom… could be three / two adult dragons.
3. The Jon Snow
If your boss is a Jon Snow then you’re not doing too badly. He’s tough but fair, popular without being conceited, willing to get stuck in and get his hands dirty to help out the very staff he leads.
But he isn’t too popular with other bosses. They are jealous of his popularity. They don’t like how he automatically commands respect when he’s just a bastard. They don’t like his out-of-the-box approach to making deals with the opposition who work for other companies / live north of the Watford Gap / live north of the wall.
And that makes him vulnerable to the heart stabbers back stabbers – the kinds of people in an organisation who will do whatever they can to bring the good guys down. Just because they feel threatened by him.
Although somewhat suprisingly, the Jon Snow boss always bounces back from such attacks – almost like some priestess or something has his back covered.
4. The Tyrion
The Tyrion boss is never at a loss for words. However tricky a situation he finds himself in, he’ll always have something intelligent and witty to say. Oh, it may be a little risqué but you can sure it will somehow diffuse the most difficult of situations and show him in a good light at the same time.
This is why many senior staff look to the Tyrion boss for advice – he’s like their hand of the king or queen right hand man. He’s thoughtful and cuts to the quick with his cunning approach and witty repartee.
Some think the Tyrion boss is slightly too fond of the drink – although hard to prove it since he never appears to lose his composure or verbal reasoning. And rumour has it, he’s a hit with the ladies.
But well, so long as it doesn’t interfere with his work, surely it’s not a problem.
He’s not a bad boss to work for. If you work loyally for him, you’ll find yourself respected and rewarded. You may also find yourself following him overseas to new shores to work for a new company – one where Tyrion believes he will be safe, respected and have the career he longs for.
5. The Ayra
The Ayra boss is barely out of college. It’s a bit of mystery as to how she got where she is today but she certainly seems determined and knows what she wants to do. However no-one else is entirely sure what that is. She prefers to work alone and is often found at the quiet part of the office cleaning the presentation pointer stick (or something long and pointy) and muttering a list of weird names.
Some say she had a traumatic childhood which accounts for her odd behaviour. Others think her parentage has got her the job. But whatever…. If you work for the Ayra boss, be warned. She’s not capable of leading a team, she certainly won’t be able to teach you new things and it’s highly likely she’ll forget she’s even meant to be managing you.
Time to ask for a transfer.
6. The Lord Baelish
The Lord Baelish boss is one to be wary of. First impressions are good – he’s intelligent, articulate, smiles an awful lot, and seems incredibly keen to make you feel at ease. Too keen. Much too keen. It all borders on the slimy.
And that’s what the Lord Baleish boss is – devious. He has no sense of loyalty, he will switch allegiance to whoever furthers his career. He is power hungry and will figure out the best way to get to the top with as little physical effort as possible, however long it takes – this man has patience! And if that means hanging on to the coat tails of a powerful female co-worker as she rises to the top, so be it.
If you work for a Lord Baelish boss, you will be of no use to him unless you can further his career. So either come up with a cunning plan to catapult him to success (which he will of course take all the credit for), marry royalty and invite him to be best man, or cut your losses and go self-employed.
If you’re very lucky, those in powerful places will eventually see through his sneaky tricks and deal with him once and for all: a forced resignation / a sacking / a quick swipe to the neck with a sharp sword.
Of course there are many more GOT characters who may better resemble your boss. But the characters above are the ones I love, hate, admire or despise. And not one of them would I care to work for!
About the Author
Michelle has worked as a traditional and digital marketer for the past 8 years. Prior to that she had a varied career, firstly qualifying as a pharmacist, completing a PhD and working in the field of Quality Assurance. Then she upped sticks and moved to sunny Portugal, and worked in an operational role as Leisure Area Manager for a large resort company.
She was drawn to marketing and has never looked back. Her fine eye for detail, scientific background, experience of managing teams and dealing directly with customers has given her an unusual all-round view of the workplace. She shares her opinions on success in life and the workplace in her blogs for Sophisticated Savers. We hope you enjoy them!
