Equality vs. Entitlement: A Controversial Take on Workplace Culture

Equality vs. Entitlement: A Controversial Take on Workplace Culture

The other day, I was proudly showing off my workplace hierarchy to my siblings; my brother, a Senior Infrastructure Engineer at Truecaller, and my sister, a Senior Technical Writer at Ai dash. Despite being at the bottom of the totem pole (with Zuckerberg and about seven others looming above me), I was boasting like I had won the business myself when they won ten times my

salary. My brother cut my ego down to size immediately: "Sure, you’re under him as the tree represents the rest on the right."
Jokes apart and while looking at that chart, a realization hit me: every single person above me was a man. I wondered, Why aren’t there more women here? and promised myself, I will be the next one.
However, this ambition comes with a controversial observation. I believe in equality, but my experience has been complicated. I often feel more at ease reporting to a male lead. Too often, I have encountered female leads who use micromanagement to prove their authority—constantly asking "Who is your lead?" or demanding medical certificates for a single sick day. It creates an environment where power plays overshadow empathy.
It makes me realize that rather than just fighting for the title of "equality," we need to examine where we are lacking behaviorally. We need to address the egos, the prejudice, and the attitudes. At work, we are professionals, not family members. We need to deliver our 8 hours without expecting privileges.
Real feminism isn’t about using gender as a card to get ahead or as an excuse for rigidity; it’s about succeeding through self-improvement and merit. That is the equality we should be striving for.