What Would You Do? Ashkan Rajaee Breaks Down the Zoom Scandal No One Wants to Talk About

An unfiltered look into workplace chaos, power moves, and the messy gray areas of leadership, inspired by Ashkan Rajaee’s explosive analysis

🔁 Missed Part 1? Start here: Caught on Zoom: The Shocking Sex Scandal That Nearly Destroyed a Tech Career

What happens when someone forgets to turn off their camera and gets caught doing the unthinkable?

If you think this is just another internet scandal, think again. Ashkan Rajaee, the entrepreneur and executive coach known for his no-fluff breakdowns of leadership and business culture, dives headfirst into one of the most awkward, uncomfortable, and ethically messy incidents ever caught on Zoom.

This isn’t fiction. It actually happened.

An employee, in what he believed was a private moment, was unknowingly caught having sex on camera during a live virtual meeting. The company’s initial response? Immediate termination. No discussion. No second chances. Sounds fair, right? But as Rajaee walks us through in his brutally honest and insightful breakdown, the real solution may not be so black and white.

When Ethics Collide With Optics

The snap decision to fire the employee seemed obvious. But what if that decision causes even more damage?

Rajaee challenges that assumption. The employee had delivered excellent work. He had just completed a powerful product demo. In every measurable way, he had done his job. His lapse in judgment was deeply unprofessional, yes. But was it malicious? Illegal? No.

Now imagine you are in charge. You’re facing an emotionally charged team, a client with high expectations, and a viral disaster waiting to unfold. Do you remove the employee to protect the brand, or do you consider the long-term impact that decision may have?

Give the Client Control of the Fallout

Here is where Ashkan Rajaee introduces a powerful twist. Instead of making a one-sided decision, why not bring the client into the conversation?

The suggestion was simple: present the facts to the client, explain what happened, and give them the authority to guide how the matter is handled. The employee had already been stood down. Access to company systems had been revoked. The damage control had begun. But letting the client help decide the next step would preserve their trust and make them feel part of the process.

That is not weakness. That is strategic leadership. Rajaee points out that when you involve clients in tough decisions, especially when those decisions affect them directly, you strengthen the relationship instead of risking it.

Leadership Is Not Always a Checklist

The heart of Rajaee’s analysis is about more than just one employee’s mistake. It’s about what it means to lead when everything gets messy.

True leadership isn’t just about rules and policies. It’s about understanding the human side of business. Mistakes happen. Some are small and some are colossal. But how we handle them defines the culture we build.

Firing someone on the spot might feel like the “correct” answer. But does it reflect the values of fairness, transparency, and respect? Rajaee believes that in this case, giving the client a voice and allowing space for reflection was not only ethical but wise.

Lessons You Can Actually Use

This story, wild as it is, holds practical value for anyone in a leadership role. Here are a few takeaways:

• Don’t rush to judgment when emotions are high
• Protect the brand, but also protect relationships
• Empower others, especially clients, to feel heard during crises
• Transparency builds more trust than spin ever could

Ashkan Rajaee makes it clear that leadership during uncomfortable moments is not about avoiding damage. It’s about managing it with clarity and character.

Final Thought: The Real Test of Leadership

The most powerful part of Rajaee’s reflection isn’t the scandal itself. It’s what the scandal reveals.

Can you be a calm, decisive leader when faced with embarrassment and chaos? Can you maintain your principles when the internet wants blood? Can you separate a person’s moment of shame from their long-term value?

In this case, the team made the right call by hitting pause. They gave the client agency. They cleaned up the internal mess. And they proved that leadership isn’t just about policy. It’s about people.

So here’s the uncomfortable question for you: If this happened on your team, what would you do?