Examining The System Not The Symptoms
The Election Result That Confirms What Working Parents Already Know
👋 I write about redefining success for overwhelmed working parents. I offer practical wisdom to break society's Rules and create a life that truly fits you.
This morning, like many people (but clearly not the majority!) I woke up with a pit in my stomach.
I find myself, like many of you, processing an election result that challenges my core values.
I have spent months consuming right wing media to understand their views and see what they see. I've gotten lost down deep rabbit holes Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly, Sky News Australia and others. Four months ago, listening to Trump's All In podcast interview, I had a sobering realization: "He's going to win. And I understand why."
I shared thoughts on LinkedIn and am expanding on them here because understanding today's political landscape isn't just about elections - it's about recognizing the systems that shape our lives. And understanding our systems is core to the Rule Breaker view for working parents.
Nice Guys (And Gals) Finish Last
Think about the last time your company chose between two leaders:
Leader A: Missed targets but championed ethics, built strong teams, and put people first.
Leader B: Hit every number, drove growth, had some 'concerning incidents' that got swept under the rug.
Who got the promotion?
Sure, we all want the combo of values-driven, salt-of-the-earth leader that can crush their targets and deliver results. But our systems aren't designed to prioritize or reward both equally.
This Is About Systems, Not Politics
I personally know many a CEO who have committed really bad human stuff but whose backers look the other way because it is in their best interest.
I, on the other hand, have turned down doing business with people that I knew did not align with my morals.
But I know this isn’t how the world usually works.
When we study business history, this pattern repeats. Take Henry Ford - a man celebrated as an American icon who revolutionized manufacturing. Yet he also used his wealth and influence to spread hate through his own newspaper's anti-semitic campaign. His economic success overshadowed his moral failings.
Steve Jobs denied the paternity of his daughter and treated her inhumanely for many years.
Silvio Berlusconi (serving four times as Italian Prime Minister) was convicted of tax fraud and paying for underage sex.
We have consistently chosen performance over character in our boardrooms and political offices.
Regarding Trump, the experts I've studied, from Janice Stein to Ben Shapiro, consistently point to one factor: economic performance (true or not) trumps everything else. Full stop.
Performance Trumps People
Every time we promote the person who 'crushes it' despite toxic behavior over the steady performer who builds others up, we reinforce what truly matters in our power structures:
>> Results over values
>> Achievement over character
>> Power over people
It's not that we're morally bankrupt.
It's that our systems are designed to reward economic results.
And here's what makes this relevant to us as Rule Breakers: It's not that individuals are making bad choices. It's that our systems are designed to reward specific outcomes - namely, economic outcomes. Understanding this frees us from the exhausting cycle of trying to fix ourselves.
“Instead of thinking of this election result as a bad man with power it's more like a system that makes it easier for that bad man to have power” is what someone wrote in reflection to my LinkedIn post and this totally hits home.
Where Working Parents Fit In
I think I’ve done a decent job laying out how society wasn’t set up for working parents to thrive.
This same system that rewards economic results over human values shapes our experience as working parents.
Think about it: We don't measure GDP by how many scraped knees we kiss or how many bedtime stories we read. We don't get promotions for being the cake cutter at work celebrations or the one everyone seeks out when they are having a bad day.
The changes needed are systemic and profound: valuing caregiving through fair compensation, reshaping work culture to accommodate real human lives, rebuilding community structures that support families. But here's the catch - these changes don't directly boost next quarter's earnings or GDP (at least not directly or as fast as other measures).
So it will be a long time coming before the world feels like it is on your side.
This is where being a Rule Breaker becomes crucial.
The only way I stay sane is by understanding the system - the rules of the world - and seeing it for what it is.
With Rule Breaker, I try to look beyond surface-level explanations. Today's election results aren't just about one person or one moment - they're a reflection of systems that consistently prioritize economic outcomes over human values.
Understanding these systems doesn't excuse Trump’s harmful actions or threats. My intention is to bring light to why some people chose to support their desires of economic improvement over their hatred for automatic weapons and support for reproductive rights.
And for us Rule Breakers, it shows why choosing a different path - one that values being over doing, quality over quantity, and sustainable success over short-term gains - is so revolutionary.
This is what being a Rule Breaker is all about: seeing the systems clearly so we can consciously choose a different way.
Sending enoughness,
J
P.S. There are a lot of links in this post. Not sure what rabbit hole to dive into - here is my top list: