The #1 way to lose your job, your reputation, & be marked as a rabble-rouser: Talk politics in the workplace.

Look out. Hold your ground. Steady. Stay steady. It’s just a simple get-together among business colleagues. Nothing to be concerned about. Unless, of course, Kathy is walking over here to hit you with one of those questions.

“So Dan, what do you think of the President’s latest move?”



There it is. Dammit. You knew this was coming because she always wants to talk politics, and you’ve got nowhere to hide.

What happens in the next 5 minutes will set a possible tone for the rest of your career.

Ready?

Let’s talk about business professionals and politics, with a specific focus on social media. Because if you haven’t figured it out yet, posting your political opinions online is like juggling lit fireworks at a gas station—it’s only a matter of time before everything explodes, and you’re left wondering why your career just went up in flames.

It’s bad enough when this happens in person, but online is another potential disaster the likes of which may never be solved.

The moment you say anything remotely political—whether it’s about Trump’s new administration, taxes, immigration, or why your neighbor’s dog wears a MAGA hat—you’ve just alienated a good chunk of your audience. Congratulations! You’re now officially a pariah to someone, somewhere. Business, as it turns out, thrives on people liking you, trusting you, and wanting to give you money. What it does not thrive on is you getting into a Twitter war with a guy named “Patriot1776” or some teenager with a keyboard and too much free time.

Let’s not forget the unique horror that is LinkedIn, a platform that is supposed to be about professional networking, career growth, and humble-bragging about your latest work achievement. But no! Some of you simply cannot resist the urge to turn it into your personal soapbox for political rants, culture war nonsense, and “hot takes” that make half of your connections roll their eyes so hard they pull a muscle. And then, when the backlash comes, when you lose business opportunities or get unfollowed by the very people who could have helped you, you act shocked.

Take, for instance, the tech executive who went on a tirade about election fraud, thinking it would make them look like a truth-seeker. Instead, major clients dropped them overnight.

Or the restaurant owner who decided to post about their disdain for a certain political movement—only to find their Yelp reviews torched by an army of enraged internet users.

Or how about the finance professional who thought it was a brilliant idea to weigh in on a Supreme Court decision with a fiery, take-no-prisoners stance? Within days, they were let go from their firm—not because their employer necessarily disagreed, but because the backlash was so intense that keeping them onboard became a liability.

Let’s be clear: social media does not allow for nuanced discussion. Everything is reduced to bite-sized text bursts, oversimplified videos, and reactionary outrage. There’s no context, no real debate, just echo chambers, knee-jerk responses, and the occasional dumpster fire of a comment thread. So, when you—oh esteemed business professional—decide to wade into this mess, understand that you are not engaging in “thought leadership.” You are walking into a battlefield armed with nothing but your company logo and a misguided belief in the power of rational discourse.

Good luck with that. Have your CV ready to go.

Careers have been ruined because of careless political statements. Jobs lost. Deals canceled. Clients ghosting like you never existed. And why? Because you had to tell everyone what you thought about the latest Supreme Court ruling or some inflammatory nonsense a politician said. Was it worth it? Did that five-second dopamine hit of self-righteousness compensate for the business opportunities you just set on fire?

Here’s a way to avoid it. Shut up. Snap it. Walk away from the keyboard, oh mighty warrior. Go watch a movie trailer or something else harmless. Find the latest in cute beagle videos, (most of which we heartily recommend). Reset your IWatch home screen. Anything but dish out your opinion. In most cases, no one cares about your opinion, so you’re just screeching into a minefield void.

It’s not just about losing business, either. You become a target. If you take a hard stance on an issue, someone, somewhere, will be motivated enough to dig through your entire internet history looking for something to ruin you with. Maybe it’s an offhanded joke you made in 2009. Maybe it’s an old blog post that doesn’t align with today’s values.

Whatever it is, they’ll find it, and they’ll use it.

And look, if you want to be known as a raging liberal or an unhinged conservative, knock yourself out. Be my guest. Post away! Just don’t come crying when your inbox is empty, your sales numbers tank, and your “personal brand” turns into scorched earth. You’re in business to make money, not to win the internet argument of the day.

Here’s a pro tip: If you absolutely must talk about politics, do it at home, at a bar with friends, or in a setting where you can actually have a real conversation. Not on a platform where strangers, competitors, and bad-faith actors can twist your words and drag your name through the mud.

At the end of the day, people don’t care about your politics. They care about whether you can provide a good product or service. So, for the love of common sense, be smarter. Stick to what you do best. Sell your product. Grow your network. And keep your political opinions where they belong—off the internet and out of your professional life.

You’re welcome.

When it comes to business, always be armed with the latest news and commentary from the fastest growing business email newsletter in America, "The Business Beagle". Subscribe now and never miss an issue! No spam, no social media trolls, and no nonsense.