Which Game of Thrones Character Would Be The Best Boss?

If you are anything like me, you probably have been spending way too much time lately thinking about the characters on Game of Thrones. But ask yourself, have you considered them yet in a professional context? Because this is LinkedIn, after all.

With that in mind, let’s have some work-related fun and try to figure out our Power Rankings for which GOT leaders would be the best people managers in the modern workplace.

5.        Joffrey Baratheon

Pros: Hmmm. Hard to come up with any strong arguments in the “pro” column for having Joffrey as your boss. I guess he might be good at branding given his love of coming up with new names for his swords (Widow’s Wail, anyone?)

Cons: Impulsive. Homicidal. Really enjoys publicly humiliating others (e.g., showing his fiancé her father’s rotting head impaled on a spike, forcing his dwarf uncle to serve as his cup bearer at his wedding while watching other dwarf performers mounted on pigs reenact a battle). Has a short attention span – I’d recommend including lots of pictures and graphics in your slide presentation to Joffrey. Otherwise, that meeting is likely to go off the rails fast.

Verdict: Joff pretty much sucks at everything. He’d be a terrible boss.

4.        Petyr Baelish (aka Littlefinger)

Pros: He’s a mover and a shaker. Not afraid to make bold decisions to advance his cause (like throwing his wife out the Moon Door). Oddly straightforward about his duplicitous nature - he’s always telling everyone not to trust him or anyone else. Unfortunately, no one ever seems to listen to him when he says this.

Cons: Encourages an extremely political workplace environment. You’re never quite sure where you stand with him. One day he tells you that you are up for a promotion; the next day he’s sending you off to Winterfell to marry a psychopath. It’s just hard to see how all of the chaos and infighting that he brings would not get tiring after a while. 

Verdict: Better than Joff (who isn’t really?), but there are more promising candidates.

3.        Cersei Lannister

Pros: Knows how to command the room. When she speaks in her black armor from the Iron Throne with FrankenMountain by her side, people pay attention. She also loved her children very much and was willing to do anything to protect them. That bodes well for her having your back if you are on her team and part of her “work family.”

Cons:  Tends to hold grudges. If you say something that gets her angry or cross her in any way, she will not hesitate to torture you and leave you in the dungeon with Septa Unella and Ellaria Sand.  Prone to impulsive, short term decision making.  As a result, she often misses important details. For example, while she did manage to kill most of her enemies by blowing up the Sept of Baelor (problematic for other reasons obviously), she missed the suicidal impact it would have on her son, King Tommen, because she was too busy torturing Septa Unella in the dungeon.

Verdict: While Cersei shows some leadership qualities, it’s safe to say that the bad still outweighs the good here.

2.        Jon Snow

Pros: Willing to make unpopular decisions even if they cost him personally. Good at focusing on the big picture – now that he has battled the White Walkers and the Night King, he consistently brings the focus back to them as the biggest threat. Modest. Even though he literally came back from the dead, he’s not into having Davos brag about it. You get the feeling that he would definitely be the kind of boss who would be happy to share the credit for a project well done.

Cons: Not great at delegating. There are bunch of times on the show where it probably would have been better for him to hold back or give a task to someone else (for example, when he charged Ramsay Bolten’s forces all by himself at the Battle of the Bastards or he decided that he personally was the only one who could go to Dragonstone to ask for Dany’s help in fighting the Night King). Instead, Jon insists on doing it himself. This is classic first time manager behavior from someone who is used to being an individual contributor as opposed to being the boss. 

Verdict: While the current King in the North has a lot going for him, Jon still needs a bit more seasoning to become a first class people manager. 

1.        Daenerys Targaryen

Pros: Has shown herself to be a woman of principle in freeing the slaves of Essos. Also has demonstrated an admirable commitment to diversity and inclusion in her hiring decisions. Her Small Council includes a eunuch, a former slave, several knights, and female rulers from Dorne, the Reach, and the Iron Islands. She does an excellent job of balancing taking input from her team members without losing her ability to take decisive action.

Cons: Seems to enjoy burning people alive just a little too much for me to be totally comfortable with her managerial skills.

Verdict: Look, nobody’s perfect, but I think that the Mother of Dragons is the best choice here. I wonder if she is hiring?

Do you agree? In the comments below, let me know who you think is the best boss in Westeros.