Story 210

Let’s discuss why the women of Citibank are so angry. In 2012, a sales guy in markets wrapped his car around a tree while driving drunk in the middle of the day with his two small kids in the back seat. It wasn’t a minor incident. The car took down a utility pole. His blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit. Because there were children in the car, it was a felony under New York law.

If most people in corporate America were charged with a felony involving alcohol and child endangerment, they would lose their job. In financial services, you’re supposed to lose your brokerage licenses.

That is not what happened here.

Instead, Citi protected him and recently promoted him. He has been rehabilitated! He’s a great guy – he was misunderstood and deserved a second chance!

Meanwhile, we watch over and over extremely high-performing women be pushed out, sidelined, or have their careers destroyed over things like tone in emails, being “difficult,” or not “collaborative enough.”

So let’s be honest about what is actually happening here:

For some, there are no real consequences — even for behavior that endangers lives and results in felony charges.

For others, usually women, the consequences are hard and fast.

Women are asking that rules be applied consistently or else stop talking about culture, values, and leadership. Because culture is not what you say. It’s what you tolerate.

BTW, this story was in in the friggin’ paper – I am declining to post it because I have no interest in destroying his life. Just making a point.

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