However, there's another side to the manager's job that doesn't seem to be addressed - interfacing upwards with whatever layers link to owners, founders, the board, shareholders, etc. How does that exactly work out in practice? Let's say leadership makes what you think are really stupid decisions with disastrous longterm consequences (ex: Boeing 737 MAX design process, Google signing up with China to build Dragonfly, etc.). What do you do? Pour gasoline on yourself and set yourself on fire in protest, or roll your eyes in despair and proceed to assign your team to the task?