What I’ve Learned in 20 Years of Corporate Work

I have been working in the corporate world for the greater part of 20 years (damn, that's a long time!). I learned a lot. How to navigate corporate but more importantly what were my values, my hard lines, and what really matters to me. I had to get this out - so here we go!

• Stress isn’t real
  My stress came from the stories I told myself about consequences, status, or expectations. The "fire drills" were all fake. Very few work problems are truly emergencies, but we treat them like life-or-death situations.
• Deadlines are made up to keep someone else happy
  Many deadlines are arbitrary, movable, or often ignored when priorities change. The pressure is usually cultural, not practical. I worked on a global PPT deck in my last job (huge meeting!), and at the last minute the client cancelled because something more important came up. I guess the meeting wasn't that big a deal. Didn't even get rescheduled. You see - arbitrary!
• I never wanted to be a CEO, CME, C-anything
  The c-suite comes with less freedom, more politics, and constant annoyances. The idea is sexy and cool but at the end of the day you're still selling yogurt or luxe bags or make up. I decided I wasn't willing to trade my life for someone else's dream - especially selling bags no one actually needs.
• Climbing the ladder🪜for the next job or more money is a never‑ending cycle
  There’s always another level, another title, another raise. Someone told me years ago once I hit "my number" the number would change. And it did. So after experiencing some trauma from the workplace I had to learn to be happy with what I had. It was enough; and I was enough. No more chasing. If happiness is tied only to “what’s next,” you’ll live in constant disappointment.
• People make the job worth it, not the work
  Jobs change and responsibilities change, but who you are with 8 hours a day are what makes it great. A mediocre job with great people beats a great job with a toxic boss. I've had both; and I miss the times when I was making less money but working with cool people learning together.
• You have to be your own cheerleader
  No one is going to validate and cheer you in more than yourself. Validation from others can be inconsistent and political. If your motivation depends on recognition, you’ll burn out waiting for it. I was proud of the work I did, and proud of the team. I said it loud, gave recognition, and was unapologetic about it.
• There is no end to the rat race
  Work will always be there. What you did Friday till 12AM won't even be looked at till the following week. So why spend the time? Your time? Finishing one task only brings another. But peace comes from choosing when to disengage, not from "getting it all done." Remember - deadlines are not real!
• Good leaders are rare
  Many managers are promoted for competence, not for leadership. Truly supportive, self-aware leaders are the exception, not the rule. I've had good ones, and I've had really bad ones! Find someone that cares about your wellbeing, not the deadline of the KPIs. To all the leaders out there - If you take care if your people, they will take care of you.
• You are a line item on a balance sheet, not part of a family
  Companies may use warm language, but decisions are driven by numbers. Loyalty is rarely reciprocal when conditions change.
• Corporate sustainability talk is often (always?) greenwashing
  Sustainability and corporate profits are inverse ideas. To be sustainable you produce less. To raise profits you sell more (so you produce more). The math doesn't math. So I just nodded and smiled whenever these topics came up.
• The smartest lesson I was told: it doesn’t matter where you are or how you do it - just do your job
  As a leader, I never cared where my people worked or when they worked. I didn't look to see if they were online. I trusted them to get the job done when it needed to be done. That's why they are hired isn't it? If they need more time, we change the timeline. There is only so much time in a day. You can't make the impossible happen.
• And finally, it’s just a job, not an identity
  When work becomes who you are, any setback feels personal. It did for me 100%. I never really learned how to fully separate myself from my title, the money, the job. I had to walk away. It was killing me. The thought of working 20 more years in any industry that values work more than people was the wrong thing to do. I didn't know the right thing, but I wasn't going to to do the wrong one.