Petered (what happens after the Peter Principle)

The Peter Principle says people rise through an organization until they reach a job beyond their abilities, where advancement stops. This reading note argues that the resulting position is not a stable resting place: someone unable to perform well may face pressure to prove their value or risk losing their job and career. Drawing on Christian Gläßel and Adam Scharpf’s study of careers in dictatorships, it describes how such people can move upward again by taking on dangerous, laborious, or ethically compromised assignments - the organization’s “dirty work.” They may also undermine superiors through false accusations or leaks, creating openings for themselves. Rather than merely becoming ineffective, a career-pressured leader can become a danger to colleagues and others.

The note connects this dynamic to David Graeber’s idea that some managerial roles function like feudal service, helping superiors maintain status and avoid responsibility. It calls the struggling leader a “real imposter”: someone who cannot fulfill the role’s actual duties but must preserve the appearance of competence, often by hiding behind busyness and unclear work. This leads to a broader critique of “imposter syndrome.” Recasting imposterhood as an individual medical condition, the note argues, can shift attention away from systems that mistreat people - especially along lines of race and gender - and onto those harmed by them. It asks whether focusing inward on self-doubt also helps conceal the genuinely unqualified or unethical people wielding power.