The Hidden Rulebook of Corporate Politics (and How to Use It to Your Advantage)

Many in the corporate workforce believe that good work speaks for itself.

Early on in my career, I used to believe in that too. I thought that if I would just focused on delivery, results, and being a good team player, recognition would automatically follow.

And for a while, it did.

Until it didn’t.

I remember the time when a peer manager who was less competent and less experienced than me got the opportunity I’d been quietly working toward. It was a soul-crushing experience for me, and I was devastated.

After an initial period of frustration and resentment, I entered a phase of introspection, reflection, and observation. And then, I could finally see what was going on.

The other manager had made some moves that I was ignoring. He was playing by the unspoken rules that most leaders follow but don’t share.

I call this the hidden rulebook.

In this post, I will unravel the 24 unspoken rules from that rulebook that influence and shape careers, projects, promotions, and power inside organizations, whether we like it or not.

Most of us learn them the hard way. But you don’t have to, as I’m sharing the full rulebook here for free (and you can thank me later!)

Here’s a bird’s-eye view of all six chapters and twenty-four rules we will learn in this post: