Employee admitted he hated taking orders from women — then made one request of his female manager that left her speechless
Workplaces follow a hierarchy, and managers are expected to give instructions, regardless of who they're supervising. But for one female manager, a conversation with an employee took an unexpected turn when he admitted he had a problem with taking directions from female bosses. On Friday, July 31, 2026, Instagram user Kewi, who goes by @lovekewi, shared how this workplace encounter with an ex-colleague made her question sexism and professionalism in the workplace. Things got worse when the colleague made a shocking request when confessing his "problem" to her.
Kewi mentioned that one of the employees she managed pulled her aside one day and admitted, "I don't really like when women tell me what to do." He went on to explain that every time she assigned him a task, he had to step outside for a smoke break because it bothered him so much. Then came the request that left her speechless. He asked if she could be "more feminine" when giving him instructions. The comment caught her off guard, questioning why she needed to act differently when she was simply doing her job as a manager. "We're at work," she said. "Why do I need to be more feminine toward you?"
Kewi also explained that she had never even realized the employee was taking a smoke break after she assigned him work. She said her instructions were always polite and professional, typically saying things like, "Hey, can you do this, do that? Thank you." She insisted she was never rude or disrespectful toward him. Instead, Kewi said the employee appeared to want her to soften her tone simply because she was a woman. She questioned why she should have to act "more feminine" toward someone she wasn't romantically interested in, especially in a professional setting where her role as a manager was to delegate tasks, not cater to an employee's personal preferences.
According to Kewi, the interaction made more sense later when she found out that the employee had actually liked her. But she said finding that out didn't change how she felt about what he had said. Many women in leadership can relate to Kewi's experience. According to a study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, female managers are often judged more harshly than their male counterparts for showing the same authority at work. Researchers said women are more likely to face negative reactions simply for being direct while managing employees.
Many viewers said the employee's comments were a sexist response rather than a problem with Kewi's management style. @ashleezy777 joked, "Grown man and his ego can't take a woman in charge." Meanwhile, @uppercasehandle quipped, "Be extra feminine and report him to HR." Another user, @essieniya, said, "He feels emasculated because you're in a higher position." Whether his comments stemmed from sexism, attraction, or both, the interaction led to a wider conversation about the different standards women in leadership often face at work.
For more such stories, you can follow @lovekewi on Instagram.