When your boss is intimidated by you

I am currently in this weird situation and don't know what to do about it. Thought I'd give the site a shot to see what everyone think. I work at a brokerage firm and I have been bringing accounts in that is doubling company's rev of the whole past 3 years. Instead of giving me a big bonus or what, my boss is terrified and think I will leave with the big accounts and avoiding the bonus talk. And they keep trying to pair me up with the rest of the firm who are either support, marketing, other entry sales people to get on the deal/account I am working on as to "assist me close the deal" when the deal was already done...not sure what I am supposed to do in this situation. You would think they would have approached differently, but who knows. What are your experiences like as a sales guy in brokerage firm, investment banking, real estate, etc.?

 
Best Response

I'm in a similar situation here. I'm a really confident person (not arrogant or over the top, just naturally confident) and my big-ego'ed boss doesn't know what to make of me because he thinks I should worship him and be in awe. So the same personal qualities that allow me to go after big accounts and call or meet with CEO's without fear, which he loves, bite me in the ass when it comes to him. I swear he goes out of his way to "knock me down a few pegs" when his ego feels threatened. He also thinks I'm going to leave (he's not exactly wrong on that though...)

It's like a dick measuring competition always and it's stupid because he's been doing this 20 years and probably makes 200 times what I do.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

Sounds like a disconnect in your relationship with your boss. IMO, they are very much trying to get your accounts familiarized with others there should your firm have to replace or fire you.

All the world's indeed a stage, And we are merely players, Performers and portrayers, Each another's audience, Outside the gilded cage - Limelight (1981)
 
Red Barchetta:

Sounds like a disconnect in your relationship with your boss. IMO, they are very much trying to get your accounts familiarized with others there should your firm have to replace or fire you.

Or if you quit. I would quit if you're bringing in this much revenue and you aren't on commission/revenue share. Or just get that pay structure there.
 

If I have an open conversation with the partners on me feeling untrusted and want to talk about why there is no commission/rev share structure, is that a bad idea? I have been approached by competitors and clients, but they are overseas. The intention of the conversation is to get over with any bullshit or game playing here and just focus on the business.

 
libra_IB:

Disconnect as miscommunication? Or concerns about my performance?

As in the level of trust between you two...maybe he's insecure of ur high level of production and that u could usurp him in his role, or perhaps he thinks u are hogging the accounts all to your self without sharing enough info...

All the world's indeed a stage, And we are merely players, Performers and portrayers, Each another's audience, Outside the gilded cage - Limelight (1981)
 
libra_IB:

If I have an open conversation with the partners on me feeling untrusted and want to talk about why there is no commission/rev share structure, is that a bad idea? I have been approached by competitors and clients, but they are overseas. The intention of the conversation is to get over with any bullshit or game playing here and just focus on the business.

Is your current comp structure the classic salary + bonus?

All the world's indeed a stage, And we are merely players, Performers and portrayers, Each another's audience, Outside the gilded cage - Limelight (1981)
 

kind of depends on what you are prepared to lose.

Personally, I'd play hardball and confront the boss and insist on bonus talk. But be sure to spin it as in "rewarding me in conjunction to my success ensures that I'm fully motivated to continue working hard and bringing in much more business for our firm in the future"

(but fyi I have gotten fired over playing "too hard" with my managers on 2 separate occasions...but I think it was more that I lost my cool. Eventually there's a time to stop insisting and make an ultimatum- all without losing your cool).

 

When I say I lost my cool- I really mean that- I behaved stupidly and resorted to yelling, insulting people, etc. Which sounds ridiculous- but imagine day in and day out being shafted and being given BS reasons for it. (And I always hated the guy on a personal level to boot) And though I did deserve more- your situation seems to be more extreme, and you seem to be even more deserving.

I DON'T mean that just being "strong" is enough for someone to be vindictive and say "you're fired". That would be exceptionally rare. So by all accounts- calmly say that you absolutely must discuss your comp package. And then the 'rewarding me for doing well is good for our future success' spin.

 

In S&T, there's a difference between bringing in new accounts and actual trade flow. New accounts don't make a bank money, but borrowing and lending securities (I noticed a prime brokerage hashtag) does.

Have they done a lot of business with the firm, and has your bonus reflected that?

If not, you need to make a credible threat to leave. That means an offer elsewhere, ideally around bonus time, ideally with a large signing bonus. This is if they're being truly unfair in paying bonuses relative to what you know you'd earn at another firm.

I would not go out of your way to introduce them to your clients, as it gives you more leverage. The fact they speak a foreign language makes this easier for you. You're playing a game of chess against these people, and to be honest, if they're not paying you a fair bonus and you're bringing in a lot of business, they're not playing a very smart game of chess. Therefore it's likely you can keep out-maneuvering them on this.

Get an offer elsewhere, and you hold all of the cards.

 

Magnam ut voluptate et iure fugiat quo et quia. Dolores et ut voluptates alias et. Quae aut eum expedita impedit quia minima. Modi tempora excepturi aperiam iusto. Ut est repudiandae consequatur sed molestias incidunt nobis. Dolor voluptas ad voluptatem. Eos nihil aut cum ut qui deleniti.

Facilis possimus laborum quia totam. Rem suscipit maiores id impedit sed voluptas sed et. Maiores ea rem ut sit voluptas.

Dolores nihil nemo eum suscipit culpa qui dignissimos. Blanditiis qui expedita cumque nam fuga dolor dolor sit. Veniam et consectetur debitis.

Est mollitia esse quia natus est at animi et. Modi recusandae vitae beatae at iure aut neque dolores. Odio cumque tempora voluptate quis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 18 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (20) $385
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”