Matrixed organization: I had a functional (provide people to slots) role and separately a program management role (build and deliver mission-critical hardware with a completely different set of people.) I couldn't cheerlead a bunch of Ph.Ds in my functional role about the lack of raises, rising cost of healthcare for ever lowered coverage, perpetual layoffs, and ever-thickening bureaucracy. Similarly I couldn't lie to high performing technical staff on the program that the cutbacks in equipment, facilities, and training along with increased "oversight" by non-technical chumps were in their and the product's best interests. When you lie to good technical people, they will never trust you again and they will tell other good technical people. Without that trust, nothing good gets built.

I decided to put together the best team possible for the program and keep the nonsense away from them. The hardest part was realizing I would not be an intellectual force but rather the bozo deflector. We succeeded but bozos have thin skins and long memories. At that time, I gave up all management roles and went back to being a technical guy looking for technical growth. This was over a dozen years ago and it has been difficult as technical work gets more and more offloaded but I'll never accept another management role again.