25 Years in Telecom: A Reality Check

I've been in this industry for a quarter century now. Started out in what I can only describe as a Glengarry Glen Ross environment. Family-owned, family-"shady," the works.

The hours were grueling: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 6:30 PM, plus one Saturday a month. When I briefly dated the owner's nephew, somehow those hours got even worse. But the schedule wasn't what eventually drove me out. It was the shadiness .At first, I thought it was just them. Just that company. Just that family.I was wrong.Twenty-five years later, I've watched the same patterns play out across the industry. Stolen ideas. Copied software. Zero integrity. And the people doing it? They're still considered "leaders." Still getting invited to speak at conferences. Still held up as examples of success.Here's what I've actually learned: The real winners in telecom aren't the ones taking. They're the ones giving. Sharing advice without expecting equity. Helping others without calculating the payout. Building relationships instead of burning them.I sometimes joke that organized crime has more of a moral code than some telecom executives I've encountered. At least they're upfront about what they are.So my question is simple: When is the telecommunications industry going to grow up?The people worth following in this industry aren't hard to spot. They're the ones who give without keeping score.