Capital One

Capital One prides itself on having a great work-life balance, and I can confirm that they offer flexible work schedules, good leave packages, and have very understanding leadership in this space. The people are generally smart, talented, and committed to doing the right thing.

There is a middle management culture of consensus-based decisioning that drives down certain teams' and individuals' potential. This stifles innovation, reduces speed, and leads to a feeling of distrust and lack of autonomy within teams. For a company that sells itself as "being agile," this is something that many people find difficult.

Embrace the shift to agile across the business. Build trust in teams and individuals and let them do what they are best at. This has been a clear message from upper leadership for quite some time, and it's what much of the company's success has been based on.