Possibly the best thing about working for oneself is that you don’t have to do any arse-kissing.
Now obviously that is not entirely true, because there are always some people to whom you have to grovel – bankers, investors, regulators, even customers. But, generally speaking, the self-employed are required to tolerate and dispense considerably less insincere bullshit than is the norm within big organisations.
This must be a good thing. Being phoney for a living is corrosive and I’m sure it is bad for one’s health – and takes up lots of time that could be used productively. Unfortunately, it is a prima facie requirement for ambitious executives who want to climb the greasy pole to any prominent boardroom. Hence, if you are not prepared to sign up to this type of lifestyle – fawning to those in power, immersed in office politics, pretending to like colleagues whom you hate – then I suggest you plan your corporate exit, or dump your ambitions.