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Snowmass leadership coach uses viral workplace stories to challenge bad management
George Stern’s videos dissecting workplace exchanges have drawn millions of views, including one in which a manager asked an employee rushing to his grandmother’s funeral for proof of her death. Stern says many managers need better training—and employees can set respectful boundaries.
A manager asked an employee racing to his grandmother’s funeral whether he could still deliver a presentation. After the employee said he would be at a wake, the manager asked for proof of the death, then wished him a safe flight.
The exchange, shared with names and company details removed, drew millions of views on Snowmass-based leadership expert George Stern’s Instagram. Stern reads workplace messages aloud in his videos and discusses how managers could respond more humanely.
“If you want to be a good boss, be a good human being,” Stern said in an Oct. 16 interview. “Don’t be a jerk.”
Stern said he began posting management advice and infographics on LinkedIn. People started sending him workplace dilemmas in private messages, asking for help. He began sharing some of the situations publicly so others could learn from them. He said his videos now reach hundreds of thousands of people on each platform, with millions of views a day.
The volume of similar responses is part of what motivates him, Stern said. Viewers often tell him they have experienced comparable treatment at work.
Stern said he is not an investigative journalist and does not independently verify every story. He looks for screenshots and asks people follow-up questions to test their familiarity with the details and get more context. He acknowledged screenshots can be faked and said he removes names and company identifiers before posting.
He views poor management less as a problem of inherently cruel bosses than of people being promoted without preparation. Strong individual contributors are often moved into management, Stern said, even though supervising others requires different skills. Without training, new managers may micromanage or hover over employees.
Stern has worked as a private-sector CEO twice and served in the White House Counsel’s Office. He is also a former Jefferson County clerk and recorder and a Harvard Law School graduate. He told Colorado Matters that his own first management job, at age 19, was a learning experience: insecure about his youth and lack of college experience, he tried to conceal both instead of focusing on helping his team.
He also uses his videos to encourage employees to set clear, professional limits, especially when they feel dependent on a job for income or health insurance. Standing up for oneself, Stern said, does not mean refusing to work hard or treating a manager badly.
Stern said managers deserve grace, too: the work is difficult, and everyone makes mistakes. But, he added, communicating clearly and treating employees with basic respect can make the job better for both sides.