Something I’ve always noticed—and always hated—is how much deference people show to those who are “important.”

You see it everywhere:

A celebrity at a restaurant.
A spiritual guru surrounded by their followers.
A well-known CEO giving a talk to a room of future LinkedIn users.
Rockstars after the show.

And yes, even in your office hallway, when the president of the company decides to take a stroll through the common folk.

I understand.
People like heroes.
We like someone to look up to.
And sure, some people have done amazing things.
But in the workplace, deference is corrosive.

The moment the CEO walks into the room, everyone straightens up.
The air changes.
The sycophants activate.
And worst of all, you see people switch voices—
Yes, the same sweet tone they used to greet the boss is the one they abandoned just ten minutes ago to bark at someone “below” them.

This is not just awkward, it’s a problem.

Because when we treat people in power like royalty, we stop telling them the truth.
We promote actors instead of contributors.
We reward performative loyalty over meaningful progress.
The goal stops being achieving the goal—
It becomes impressing the boss.

That’s not leadership.
That’s theater.
And the whole cast?
Sycophants.

Here’s the worst part:
Deference doesn’t even work.
It’s bad for the people at the top because they start to believe their hype.
And it’s bad for the people at the bottom because they start to believe they belong there.

Neither is true.
Neither is healthy.
Neither helps us do better work.

Hierarchy is an ancient design pattern we keep copy-pasting into modern life. It’s a leftover from a time when we thought kings had magic blood.
And apparently, we still do.

So here’s my pitch:

Flatten your view.
Flatten your life.

If you’re “in charge,” stop floating above the room.
If you’re “at the bottom,” stop acting like you’re less than anyone else.

Everyone contributes.
Everyone matters.
No one deserves worship.

Not because they’re rich,
Not because they’re loud,
Not because they have a fancy title.

Don't have heroes.
Don't believe in kings or CEOs.
Believe in people.

Stop playing “Who’s Above Who.”
And start acting like we’re all in the same room.

We’re all made of the same star dust. Let’s start acting like it.

Something I’ve always noticed—and always hated—is how much deference people show to those who are “important.”

You see it everywhere:

A celebrity at a restaurant.
A spiritual guru surrounded by their followers.
A well-known CEO giving a talk to a room of future LinkedIn users.
Rockstars after the show.

And yes, even in your office hallway, when the president of the company decides to take a stroll through the common folk.

I understand.
People like heroes.
We like someone to look up to.
And sure, some people have done amazing things.
But in the workplace, deference is corrosive.

The moment the CEO walks into the room, everyone straightens up.
The air changes.
The sycophants activate.
And worst of all, you see people switch voices—
Yes, the same sweet tone they used to greet the boss is the one they abandoned just ten minutes ago to bark at someone “below” them.

This is not just awkward, it’s a problem.

Because when we treat people in power like royalty, we stop telling them the truth.
We promote actors instead of contributors.
We reward performative loyalty over meaningful progress.
The goal stops being achieving the goal—
It becomes impressing the boss.

That’s not leadership.
That’s theater.
And the whole cast?
Sycophants.

Here’s the worst part:
Deference doesn’t even work.
It’s bad for the people at the top because they start to believe their hype.
And it’s bad for the people at the bottom because they start to believe they belong there.

Neither is true.
Neither is healthy.
Neither helps us do better work.

Hierarchy is an ancient design pattern we keep copy-pasting into modern life. It’s a leftover from a time when we thought kings had magic blood.
And apparently, we still do.

So here’s my pitch:

Flatten your view.
Flatten your life.

If you’re “in charge,” stop floating above the room.
If you’re “at the bottom,” stop acting like you’re less than anyone else.

Everyone contributes.
Everyone matters.
No one deserves worship.

Not because they’re rich,
Not because they’re loud,
Not because they have a fancy title.

Don't have heroes.
Don't believe in kings or CEOs.
Believe in people.

Stop playing “Who’s Above Who.”
And start acting like we’re all in the same room.

We’re all made of the same star dust. Let’s start acting like it.