My (22F) boss (50sF) and I met virtually last week. She just came back from bereavement leave. She started off the meeting by saying I “need to stop overstepping her authority” and that she’s “let people go in the past for undermining her authority and abilities.”
I am working at the bachelors level while finishing my masters. This was in the job description. She continued yelling at me and said “I have two masters degrees, I have a PhD, I have 30 years of experience. You need to know your place.”
She also said that when I ask her questions, I am “giving her directives.” She basically told me to not speak until spoken to and to do the bare minimum. I am learning that she has a very authoritarian leadership style.
I do not want to leave my organization, but since I have only been here for two months, and I am concerned that my boss will do whatever she can to get me fired. I basically was doing too much, providing too much input, and trying to lighten her plate.
I am planning to be maliciously compliant and only do as asked and never “overstep her authority” again. However, it was extremely concerning considering the rest of my time here, she’s said everyone is impressed with my work and that I’m doing a great job. She didn’t bring up these issues until all at once and when she did, she was explosive. I responded kindly, and told her I understood and appreciated her telling me everything.
The organization is very hierarchical and she is a senior staff person, I am not. I am scared I would get fired if I spoke up about what happened. Any advice for this?