So you wanna be a boss. Netflix and chill will yourself to get off the couch already. How to Be a Boss (According to Your Favorite Shows) is your excuse to binge all the TV you want. It’s career inspiration, right?
Big dreams don’t always work out as planned. Over the course of her ascension from VP to president to whatever it is that happens afterward, Selina Meyer has had to work around fairweather allies, a team consistently on the verge of combustion, and an ex-husband who only ever seems to get worse. But where some of us would abandon all hope, President Meyer and those she’s forever entwined with refuse to take no for an answer. And as a result, we’ve gotten to watch seven seasons of ambitious, resilient, and crafty characters endure the worst Washington has to offer—all while somehow leveling up in the process.
Of course, we'd never advocate (literally) taking a page out of President Meyer's book, nor should we scream obscenities in the general direction of those offering us a tea. But if Veep’s taught us anything, it’s that adult working life and getting through the day can sometimes feel like those moments where you’re clutching your phone while playing down a mild heart attack to ensure your enemies don’t have any fodder with which to drag you down—whether you’re embedded in politics or just trying to pay your phone bill. Unless you’re Ben—then you’re likely reading this while holding an oversized insulated mug. (I am Ben.)
Here are 16 rules on how to be a boss according to Veep, the best show ever (about the worst parts of politics).
1. Surround yourself with a team of hard-working geniuses.![Richard, Amy, Marjorie, Kent, Dan, and Ben strategize in Selina’s office.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/1c416be9f20bc7585854fcf8479cb2b556014d1d7c9e5d85e64e1cff20efd5d0b75dc40f8c6cf24859500ca23b833dff_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171331)
![Mike McClintock watches Selina give an address.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/cbaed3d2cde579efd822b37c64f15597c5efe527ccf68358276f5ba42da57546_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171537)
![Kent and Ben observe Selina’s inability to give a campaign speech.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/79d3f6a559987d5d9973dcc3d582a0501b0c149b3be99ce5da13dd71e6d6054e_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171576)
![Dan and Amy talk about the future as Amy debates whether she should keep Dan’s baby.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/6f7a4b93a4ce5fc3f43e901b9cec271c193a8fefe0cbea452503348d258c90f5_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171620)
![Richard Splett celebrates the highs of politics while working on both Selina’s and Jonah’s campaigns.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/6b6ad76ac7ec3ab8b8e427d30d39d6e645f7f6f5f75161fc575672d17b64e840_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171653)
![Presidential hopeful Jonah Ryan stands with his advisor and also his wife/half sister.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/940c750bee2b57669d6de443e1b563c48f1f1407b879c8bf8ac25826b9248ef3c7b07ee350680e85e6d8d804b86fce1d_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171684)
![Selina unveils her “New. Selina. Now.” campaign slogan.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/49a4e2e7cd86129ff0eb7a27677a73a1f62d12ebdbedb2126fc5133a76c085e6e7e1f1ac05e3c46d88622841d7a4644d_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171719)
![Selina points in agreement/happiness on her campaign plane.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/a32295bfc59095012c106a8668ffd4115aa4b222db7f96c32f54ccc8dbf17f49e189545c773e676308d7c54f560b5c77_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171755)
![Selina allows Marjorie to remove the lint on her chest.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/49a4e2e7cd86129ff0eb7a27677a73a17e4a8c3ac084bfd3fd61133954f38ef47b67d57999cda8a836bc9200b53bd0aa_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171861)
![Marjorie and Catherine Meyer cradle their son/Selina’s grandson on the campaign plane.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/940c750bee2b57669d6de443e1b563c4540c56ad4b034c6f32fb4c16c101e034fbde891bdbe059b1f165bc6399863b15_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171897)
![Amy Brookheimer works on Jonah’s campaign in his kitchen.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/96e2401db3123dfa61c1cf26f536b2a6c6eaa61183f08b8106cbc6a834249c815ae042468b74e6e32928119ae0f5b036_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557171944)
![Jonah Ryan delivers a campaign address.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/7a6a15d145091ed38725de4a7c690f4cdbee5d3b98b1c9de623a5d18ae109386_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557172203)
![Richard is faced with questions about a political scandal he accidentally helped expose.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/1273578dafbef4e6b70b7c39ddece73968d711c952fb2b0ae68290b6d98a6908_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557172276)
![Selina is confronted with yet another surprise while on the campaign trail.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/da806000dba679d12a62c8384c2ca01c3fed33b2cea9bb221ba30e30d88e835d043c79dd1e09544afc5a28be0fa27360_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557172344)
![Dan finds himself under the employment of congressman Richard Splett.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/eae14bea14192e8bc0db88050f2fcef24aa908c216d645d6e053487e90844db9b90a821e548aa1d2428eda1cc72bce9d_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557172403)
![Dan finds himself under the employment of congressman Richard Splett.](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/3714c168af89a7dfed9388e66f3930bbafa17062bd1d1a4d746b3875ec333949115a2bf25bb60f8a0cac1a23bdfc496e_BLOG_INLINE.jpg?v=1557172459)
Words by Anne T. Donahue
Feature image by Justin M. Lubin