Have you ever said something just because you felt like it was expected of you? Your boss asks for your opinion on a new project. You don’t want to seem uninterested or ignorant, so you start parroting what they say to show your genuine enthusiasm. Or you use your existing knowledge and context to come up with a semi-informed opinion on the spot to appease your boss.

Why do we do bullshit? Bullshitting is a technical term for when someone says something with little regard for truth, evidence, or established bodies of knowledge (Kiazad et al., 2025). There are a couple of reasons we do this. Kiazad et al. uncovered four motives for bullshitting in their research: to get ahead, get along, get away, or get around. Humans purposefully engage in bullshitting for specific reasons, and it happens in the workplace all the time. In fact, some of your employees probably do it to you every day.

You bullshit your boss to get ahead, show you care about things, and take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. Or you choose to bullshit your coworker to get along. You might even engage in bullshitting with your employees. They ask you a question that you don’t know the answer to, so you use your existing knowledge and context to fill in the gaps and give an educated answer, but not an accurate one. Leaders feel compelled to behave this way when they feel they are the expert and want their employees to view them as one. Leaders who are unwilling to say, “I don’t know,” will engage in a lot of bullshitting to cover themselves. It might work for a time, but it will quickly explode once their employees catch on.

I’m always reminded of a Dwight D. Eisenhower story when I think about bullshitting your boss to show your intelligence, get ahead, or take on a new opportunity. General Marshall called Eisenhower to his office weeks after Pearl Harbor to use his insights for how the Americans would move forward after the destruction of such a critical outpost for America. Eisenhower had spent four years in the Philippines and had a good sense of the geography and challenges of warfare in the Pacific.

Eisenhower was called into General Marshall’s office, where he was briefed on the escalating situation in the Philippines and the ramifications of the Pearl Harbor attack. Then, General Marshall asked Eisenhower for his opinion on what the US should do. Eisenhower said, “Give me a few hours to draft a plan.”

He could’ve bullshitted. He had the knowledge to speak intelligently about the response and the situation in the Philippines. Instead, he spent time drafting his own plan, which became America’s strategy in the Pacific.

We’re all tempted to bullshit. It’s so common that you can usually get away with it. That doesn’t mean it’s something you should be doing regularly. Standing out is easier when you choose not to bullshit. Most people can bullshitt their way to an educated opinion. Great leaders take the time to formulate well-thought-out opinions that can be used in practice.

Until next time,

Rick

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