Stories about workplace culture often surface on Reddit, offering unfiltered perspectives from employees and managers. One such account, shared on r/IndianWorkplace, has gone viral for highlighting how a leader stood up for her team during a tense meeting.
The user, an engineering manager and the only brown woman in her company’s leadership team, described how she has navigated racism, sexism, and imposter syndrome to rise to her role. Despite being surrounded by what she called “white tech bros,” she said she remained determined and eventually earned a leadership position.
Recounting a recent meeting, she said one of her direct reports was presenting their part of a project when senior counterparts began to “rip him apart” without letting him explain. The employee, relatively new and not fluent in English, grew nervous and fell silent.
That’s when the manager intervened. “I switched on my mic, cut them midway and very calmly for the next 10 minutes explained to them what we did. I didn’t even for once hesitate shutting them down, regardless of their position, entitlement or gender,” she wrote. Her explanation convinced the other team, and later, her teammate messaged to thank her for defending him — a gesture she described as deeply rewarding.
The post triggered a wave of responses from Redditors, many lauding her for backing her team. One user commented, “Well done. Your type of managers are very rare. There is a flip side to this as well — will your team back you when you need it? This is a point to think about.” Another added, “You did a good job OP. Many don’t have the spine to defend their team when there is need.”
The discussion reflects broader conversations about workplace culture, allyship, and the role of managers in creating psychologically safe environments — especially in industries where underrepresentation and bias still persist.
