When the boss is Google without wi-fi

In the corporate world, there’s a peculiar type of leader: the google without wi-fi boss. They appear to know everything, speak confidently, throw around technical jargon, but when it’s time to make decisions, they can’t even open a new tab. The wi-fi drops, the connection is lost, and they freeze — unable to decide, solve problems, or even grasp basic business dynamics.

This type of boss often got where they are through luck, internal politics, or charisma, not competence. They are the master of buzzwords, the king of empty strategy, the captain of a ship without a compass. And, to make matters worse, they exhibit a narcissistic pattern: they thrive on feeding their own ego, need constant admiration, crave the spotlight, and want applause without having delivered a real show. The problem? They take up space. Worse yet, when they realize their team knows more than they do, they feel threatened, create obstacles, and block growth.

I’ve worked with many google without wi-fi bosses. People who stalled simple processes because they didn’t know and were too proud to ask. People who “sat on the safe” and made progress impossible, as if knowledge were a scarce asset to protect. People driven by vanity, not by competence. People who needed to be flattered just to feel important.

These leaders forget something essential: to lead is to serve, not to control. To lead is to open doors, not close them. To lead is to empower others, not feel threatened by their growth.

But there’s one point that must be stated with force: Never compromise your ethics. No matter how hostile the environment, no matter how much the boss tries to dim your shine, never lose your principles. Success cannot be built on shortcuts or shady tactics. Ethics is the finish line for those who run the marathon of professional life with dignity.

The market is wise — and ruthless. The boss who doesn’t know, who blocks, who limits, may last a while, but they only survive in environments where mediocrity is the rule. For professionals who want to grow, the secret is simple (but not easy): don’t let someone else’s limits define you. Invest in yourself, learn, create, innovate. Even when the boss’s wi-fi crashes, keep your router running at full speed.

As Socrates said: “True knowledge is in knowing that you know nothing.” Those who think they know everything actually block their own growth. Those who close themselves off from learning become a google without wi-fi — a decorative object with no real use.

So here’s my invitation:

1.        Be the leader you would like to have;

2.        Inspire, even without a leadership position;

3.        Share, even when you’re not asked;

4.        Grow, even when someone tries to hold you back;

5.        And, above all, never lose the courage to be honest;

Because in the end, a boss may try to dim the light of those who deliver. They may even shut off the wi-fi. But true talent doesn’t need a network — it connects in the real world, creates value, and transforms everything around.

Talent is the wi-fi that connects the future — and it never fails for those who are ready to learn.

Sao Paulo/SP/BR, June 6th 2025