What 20 Years in Corporate Really Taught Me (And It’s Not What You Think)

What I wish someone had told me before I gave corporate two decades of my life

The unspoken rules no one warns you about — until it’s too late.

Twenty-plus years in corporate doesn’t just teach you how to draft a killer report or survive performance reviews. It teaches you who to trust, who to avoid, and exactly how much of yourself you can give before the machine chews you up and spits you out.

I’ve been the rookie who thought “teamwork” meant family. I’ve been the middle manager caught between two warring egos. I’ve been the senior leader smiling in the boardroom while privately wondering which knife in my back was going to twist first.

This isn’t Social Media-friendly fluff. These are the rules of survival — the ones no one tells you.

1. Hard Work Is Overrated — Leverage Is Everything

I used to wear long hours like a badge of honour. First in. Last out. Skipping dinners. Killing weekends. I thought that’s how you got ahead.

Reality check: The grind will break you if you let it. In corporate, output is only half the game. The other half is making damn sure the right people know about it.

Quiet workers get forgotten. Loud mediocrities get promoted. Be excellent — but be visible. Build leverage through results, relationships, and influence you can cash in when it matters.

💬 “If no one knows you did it, it doesn’t count.”

2. Loyalty Will Get You Left Behind

I stayed in one role years longer than I should have — out of loyalty. All of a sudden, one Tuesday afternoon, an email dropped: “HR meeting.” My role vanished before I could even clear my desk.

It was the day I learned: you’re not a family member. You’re an asset, and assets get written off when they’re no longer wanted.

Keep your CV sharp. Keep your network alive. Keep an exit strategy ready — always. Your career is your business. Treat it like one.

💬 “Give loyalty to people, not companies.”

3. How You Treat People Outlives Your Job Title

I’ve seen hotshots bulldoze their way to the top, leaving a trail of burned bridges.Yes, they got the big office — for a while, but when the tide turned, nobody fought for them.

The people you dismiss today might be signing your contract tomorrow. I’ve seen interns come back as clients. Receptionists become gatekeepers.

Corporate is a small world with a long memory. Your reputation is your shadow — make sure it’s one you can live with.

💬 “Your title fades. Your reputation sticks.”

A veteran’s guide to the rules they’ll never teach you in orientation

4. Politics Isn’t Optional — It’s the Operating System

Some people avoid office politics like it’s toxic waste. Bad move. Politics is just the invisible wiring of corporate power. Ignore it, and you’ll get fried.

Learn who actually pulls the strings — and who just looks like they do. Sometimes it’s the CFO. Sometimes it’s the executive assistant.

You don’t have to be fake or ruthless, but you do have to be strategic. Play the game, or accept being a pawn.

💬 “If you don’t play the game, you’re the game.”

5. Your Health Is the First Casualty — If You Let It Be

I’ve pulled all-nighters, skipped meals, ignored chest pains because “the deadline couldn’t wait.” Let me tell you — the deadline always waits. It just waits until you’re in a hospital bed or a grave.

Corporate will take as much as you give, then it will take more. It will drain your health, your time, your relationships — and still expect you to “push harder.”

Draw the line. Guard your sleep, your workouts, and your sanity like your life depends on it — because it does.

💬 “If you lose your health for a job, you’ve lost twice.”

Final Word: The corporate world isn’t a meritocracy. It’s a high-stakes game with hidden rules, shifting alliances, and no permanent winners.

Play it smart. Play it for yourself, and never forget: the only title that matters in the end is CEO of your own life.

💬 “Careers are rented. Your life is owned.”

I have seen enough to know that honesty is curated, fealty is expected, group-think is demanded! The question that remained was whether I was ok with that? The undeniable fact was that I still wanted to have soul! I made my decision... Ciao! Damien