Trust Fund Egos & Choosing Yourself in the Workplace
“Babysitting trust fund egos was never my calling”
I saw this statement on a LinkedIn post by a senior professional who says that realising this was an important part of his leadership journey. I could not help but laugh because I am certain of who he was referring to here, and it was also a reminder that it is very important to be mindful of such pitfalls.
Trust Fund egos and nepo babies are a global phenomenon. They are a plague on society in most instances where the neo-feudal structures protect the family nucleus while draining the life out of those who work for them. In such cases, those who wish to be professionals are compelled to either bow down to the family or compromise their standards to suit the nepo egos. This inadvertently impacts one’s self esteem, productivity and overall sanity because the demands can be inhumane, degrading and insatiable in most cases. Such structures are oppressive and feudal at their very foundation and need to be weeded out and severely regulated. If you cannot maintain your dignity, sense of self and professionalism in such places, then it is best to leave and find employment in better structured companies. Yes, it is not easy to be quitting and finding jobs but where possible, it is best to avoid such soul sucking entities because the long term repercussions are severe.
Nowhere is it going to be perfect or free of politics. Yet, when it comes to family companies, there is unfortunately almost no accountability by the family members and this applies to extended cousins, distant relatives and whoever else happens to be sitting within the system. Inevitably they hire or position someone as the scape goat or fall guy for their perfidy. In addition to this, the opportunities for reaching the director board or GM level are slim as the family closely guards such positions for themselves and their own interests. Hence, it is always prudent to do due diligence when joining any company – especially the family owned ones – and to be ready to exit if things turn unprofessional and sour.
