Chasing Likes: Pitfalls in the Corporate Environment
Sagarika Bharatiya
Team Leader – Process Safety Operations (Upstream) @ Santos Ltd | Production Engineering, Process Engineering
The Social Currency of Corporate Popularity
When did leadership become a popularity contest? When did we start prioritizing perception over performance?
Imagine this: A company’s best technical expert, someone who has consistently delivered results, is passed over for a promotion. Instead, the role is given to someone who is less competent but more visible, someone who says all the right things in meetings but contributes little of substance. Sound familiar? It’s a scene that plays out in countless corporate environments, where optics overshadow capability, and validation matters more than value.
In today’s corporate world, validation isn’t just a perk—it’s currency. Leaders craft their images, companies chase headlines, and employees curate their work personas—all in pursuit of one thing: approval. Whether it’s social media metrics, executive recognition, or peer validation, corporate environments are increasingly driven by the desire to be liked rather than respected, noticed rather than impactful.
But it’s not just leadership that has become a popularity contest—corporate environments as a whole have shifted in this direction. Many employees seem to care more about how they are perceived than the actual technical work being delivered. While the “how” in the way we work is critical for cohesion and team function, have we taken it too far? In many organizations, underperformers and "yes" men—who lack deep technical competence—seem to climb the ranks, while steady, consistent performers who may be the quieter crew are overlooked.
Consider the downfall of WeWork, where charismatic leadership, overhyped branding, and social validation fueled its rise—until financial instability and mismanagement brought it crashing down. Adam Neumann, the company’s co-founder and former CEO, built an empire on optics, selling a dream of community and innovation while behind the scenes, reckless spending and unsustainable growth spiraled out of control. Investors once enchanted by the hype eventually saw past the illusion, and when WeWork’s failed IPO revealed glaring financial weaknesses, the empire collapsed. This is what happens when organizations prioritize external admiration over internal stability—when the pursuit of likes, praise, and inflated valuation overtakes real business fundamentals.
This article explores the science and psychology behind corporate validation-seeking, the unique vulnerabilities that make some more susceptible than others, and how businesses can break free from the dopamine-fueled trap of chasing likes.
1. The Science of Chasing Approval: Why We Crave Validation
Corporate environments don’t exist in a vacuum—they are shaped by deep-seated psychological mechanisms that drive human behavior. Understanding these mechanisms can explain why leaders, employees, and organizations become trapped in the pursuit of external validation.
The Dopamine Feedback Loop: Addicted to Approval
? Why it matters: Social validation triggers dopamine release, creating a pleasure-reward cycle that reinforces approval-seeking behavior.
? Corporate impact: Leaders and employees experience a psychological "high" from praise, leading to short-term, feel-good decisions instead of impactful ones.
? How to fix it:
The Problem with Promoting “Yes Men” and Visibility Over Competence
One of the biggest problems with validation-seeking cultures is that technical excellence often takes a backseat to political maneuvering. Employees who challenge the status quo, question flawed strategies, or focus on results over relationships can be overlooked in favor of those who simply tell leadership what they want to hear.
? Why it happens: Leaders—especially in visibility-driven cultures—often mistake confidence for competence, rewarding those who seem engaged rather than those who deliver real value.
? Corporate impact: Underqualified people move into leadership roles, while high performers who lack self-promotion skills are left behind.
? How to fix it:
2. The Gender Factor: Why Women Are More Susceptible
While both men and women experience validation-seeking tendencies, research suggests that women may be particularly vulnerable to the trap of chasing approval.
? Why?
? Solutions for Corporate Culture:
4. Breaking the Cycle: Substance Over Social Validation
To build a corporate culture that values impact over approval, businesses must:
? Encourage risk-taking and unpopular but necessary decisions
? Reward real contributions, not just visibility
? Shift leadership focus from optics to long-term growth
? Foster authenticity in leaders and employees
Final Thought: Beyond the Like Button
In a world obsessed with applause, true leaders are those who dare to stand firm when the crowd stops clapping.
Are you leading for impact—or just for likes?