Do Unto Others, J.rk
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Do you think that earning a seven-figure-salary entitles you to treat people badly? Think again.
During my worklife, I have come across a number of people who, if it hadn't been for the fact they were more senior than most, would have never got away with their inappropriate behaviour. Like the head of trading who used to very famously shout at the traders on his desk (and not in a good-spirited, motivational way), to the extent that people on the phone would ask whether I was in the middle of a riot and needed assistance.
It made me think about whether this kind of behaviour could be a cover-up for general insecurity (if you are loud enough, nobody will argue with you) or if people like this told their mothers when they were young: "When I grow up, I want to be rich and successful so I don't have to be polite to anyone anymore".
I like to believe that there is, in general, no excuse for this kind of behaviour. And even more so once you've reached a certain level. If you are deserving of your seniority, you should have acquired a standing and respect which has people doing what you want regardless of the decibel level at which you give your orders.
Quite simply put, while your seven-figure salary entitles you to an annual health check, a flashy car, and maybe even a trophy wife, it certainly does not entitle you to create an atmosphere where people go about their jobs fearing the consequences of non-compliance.
Furthermore, as experienced by a credit trader who had a very public nervous breakdown after losing many hundreds of millions of pound within a month last year, people will get their revenge. He was universally loathed because of his back-stabbing, arrogant behaviour, and when he was taken from the trading floor, the mood on the floor was allegedly incredibly cheerful.
People who are extremely successful sometimes justify their lack of friends and social interaction by the fact it is lonely at the top. (Although this might be generally true, the converse is most certainly not: Just because you are lonely, don't think that you have arrived at the top.)
So the next time you feel like shouting at the junior who misbooks a trade, don't. Refraining won't make you look weak or unprofessional. Nobody will not doubt your seniority or your ability to close deals and generate revenue.
You will just be considered a better boss.
It made me think about whether this kind of behaviour could be a cover-up for general insecurity (if you are loud enough, nobody will argue with you) or if people like this told their mothers when they were young: "When I grow up, I want to be rich and successful so I don't have to be polite to anyone anymore".
I like to believe that there is, in general, no excuse for this kind of behaviour. And even more so once you've reached a certain level. If you are deserving of your seniority, you should have acquired a standing and respect which has people doing what you want regardless of the decibel level at which you give your orders.
Quite simply put, while your seven-figure salary entitles you to an annual health check, a flashy car, and maybe even a trophy wife, it certainly does not entitle you to create an atmosphere where people go about their jobs fearing the consequences of non-compliance.
Furthermore, as experienced by a credit trader who had a very public nervous breakdown after losing many hundreds of millions of pound within a month last year, people will get their revenge. He was universally loathed because of his back-stabbing, arrogant behaviour, and when he was taken from the trading floor, the mood on the floor was allegedly incredibly cheerful.
People who are extremely successful sometimes justify their lack of friends and social interaction by the fact it is lonely at the top. (Although this might be generally true, the converse is most certainly not: Just because you are lonely, don't think that you have arrived at the top.)
So the next time you feel like shouting at the junior who misbooks a trade, don't. Refraining won't make you look weak or unprofessional. Nobody will not doubt your seniority or your ability to close deals and generate revenue.
You will just be considered a better boss.
Here Is The Writer : Mr & Mrs Properly
Mr and Mrs Properly will never come to your home empty-handed. They hold doors for young and old alike, always say please and thank you (especially to each other), and try not to be judgemental when they witness bad manners. Their bookshelves feature works by Debrett's, Knigge, Miss Manners and Emily Post, and when they're bored, they write this column for Here Is The City while making dinner. Both work in the City.
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