How to Question Your Boss (and Be Loved for Being Obnoxious)

Rude is not always loud. Yes, the person who speaks over everybody in a meeting is a bit obnoxious. But the person fading into the corner of the room can be even worse. No curiosity. No clarity. Nothing bold. Quietly letting the world and the work pass them by.

This clammed-up person is not being rude on purpose, of course. Like most people, they are just trying to be nice and get along.

But the opposite is true. The person who hides in comfortable silence is being cruel — by not asking toug...