It seems to me that the person made a decision the boss disagreed with. That doesn’t necessarily mean it was “wrong”. It may have been the better path for the company to take, but the boss feels betrayed.

So how do you want to make your decisions? Do you decide things based on loyalty to people? Do you “back them up” regardless of the situation? Or do you make decisions based on the issues themselves? I prefer the latter. I call them like I see them (but I also tread carefully). I believe that most blunders can be prevented when everyone feels free to raise objections.

My advice is: if your manager is heading in the wrong direction, it’s your responsibility to help guide them onto the right path. With two important caveats: raise your concerns as EARLY as possible (to prevent wasted effort) and ABSOLUTELY do it in a PRIVATE SETTING (not in a meeting with a lot of other people present).