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i've been in situations where the lead, alpha programmer(s) pretty much decided everything and criticized the work i was doing to an extent that i felt helpless and demotivated.

it's probably good to somehow radically adjust your role/attitude/relationships in such a working environment, if reasonably and sanely possible.

if not, it's probably better to leave than to try and "stick it out."

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I often hear people say they work at startups because they are more motivated knowing that they'll have an appreciable effect in the outcome. The complement to this idea is that people in large corporations feel like they have little effect - a feeling that is analogous to learned helplessness.

As a manager or leader one of your main jobs is to ensure your employees feel like their voices are heard.

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