Infamous Email Writers Aren't Always Killing Their Careers After All

“I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that this kind of behavior is naturally rewarded,” cautions Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. “But it does lead to success in some realms.” And those realms can include the legal profession, sales teams, trading floors, entrepreneurial endeavors — in other words, the corners of the business world where unmitigated gall can be more marketable than galling. “This could be great for [Ms. Abdala’s] career if you think about it,” he says.

That’s because in the rough and tumble of business, bad behavior is sometimes admired, and good behavior isn’t necessarily rewarded. Take, for example, corporate whistleblowers, who don’t exactly get promoted for their efforts and often have to turn to the law to protect themselves, Prof. Argenti says. —Infamous Email Writers Aren’t Always Killing Their Careers After All (Wall Street Journal Online)

I’ve been part of the “beware what you write” contingent, and I’ll continue to deliver that message, because it’s usually true.

Sometimes, it does make sense to take a strong stand and defend it, come hell or high water, but one has to pick one’s battles.