Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t just about doing your job well. It’s about understanding the real rules of the game—the ones no one teaches you, the ones you only learn by watching or bumping into them the hard way.

This belief holds a lot of smart, capable professionals back. Many of us were taught that if we do excellent work, stay humble, and follow the rules, we’ll be rewarded. Promotions, leadership opportunities, seniority, and recognition will come in time as long as we keep our heads down and deliver.

We tend to believe that leaders should always be certain. That we should have the answers, hold the plan, and carry the confidence that keeps everyone else steady.

Whether you’re navigating a performance review, sharing your accomplishments in a team meeting, or pushing back on unrealistic expectations, the question is the same.

Office politics has a reputation problem. It is often viewed as manipulative, toxic, or something “other people” do. We distance ourselves from it to prove we are not playing games. We say things like, “I’m not political” or “I just do the work.”

Sometimes leadership does not feel like leading. It feels like tolerating. Tolerating the unspoken expectations. Tolerating one more unnecessary meeting. Tolerating being the go-to, the fixer, the one who always knows what to do, even when you are quietly running on fumes.

Being good at your job is not enough. I have worked with incredibly talented people. Sharp. Reliable. High-performing. But many of them feel stuck. They lead the projects. They stay late. They deliver the results. Still, they get passed over.

You can have the résumé, the track record, and the best intentions in the room—and still get passed over. In my work delivering executive leadership coaching and speaking at leadership conferences, I have watched it happen again and again.

Not every transformation starts with a big career move. Sometimes it starts in a meeting. A mid-level leader came to me at a breaking point. She was burned out, overlooked, and on the verge of leaving an organization she had once been excited to join.

There is a quiet pressure in many organizations to lead a certain way. Be bold. Be polished. Be visionary. But not too much. Not too quiet either. Not too different. Sound like someone they already trust. Lead like someone they already follow.