Did I break the first rule in order to set a limit?
Hey everyone. Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I need some perspective on a situation with my boss.
For context, I recentl started working at a bank and I have a "good" working relationship with my branch manager. He’s been a great mentor, championed my hiring (gave me a perfect score on my interview), and we usually get along great, even chatting casually in my cubicle.
Recently, though, things crossed a line. He made an inappropriate, boundary-crossing comment about my significant other. Without thinking twice, I immediately shut it down and gave him a very direct, ice-cold warning: "You really wanna go down that road?" He backed down immediately, but the dynamic has felt tense ever since.
Looking back at The 48 Laws of Power, I'm worried I fundamentally messed up. Law 1 is Never outshine the master, but in this case, it feels less like I outshone him intellectually or professionally, and more like I openly challenged his authority or dominated an interaction by putting him in his place.
How would you handle navigating the fallout without looking weak, but without keeping him as an enemy? Open to any advice