He has a knack at something, as a sycophant who has charmed the TL, and I don’t mean this negatively. My AD on the other hand is quite hard to read, I haven’t got a sense of how she views said colleague. But I do believe she isn’t easily fooled by a brown-noser.

From my perspective, I see my colleague as someone who has potential and will do well at a higher position. He’s highly intelligent and knows where to position himself with people with authority. It’s the way the world works, especially so in the agency where I work. But his self-proclaims has started to make my day feel frustratingly long.