Seven lessons from seven years in the corporate world

Seven years ago, I got thrown into the corporate world with zero warning. No one sat me down to explain what I would actually be judged on or what was on the table. I just went with it and learned a lesson or two the hard way, some of it by heart and, honestly, a few of them in tears. Then I moved on.

Here's what actually helped me survive and grow through those years.

1. Your calendar reveals your real priorities, not your job title.
2. Silence in a meeting isn't agreement. Speak up before the decision is made, not after.
3. Office politics is just relationships, done on purpose. Learn them instead of avoiding them.
4. Burnout rarely announces itself. It hides behind "just one more email."
5. Document everything. Memory loses arguments; paper trails win them.
6. Take good care of your team. They are your backbone.
7. Nobody remembers your 60-hour weeks. Everyone remembers your results.

Grit is what got most of us through that list, if we're honest. Grit, and slowly learning how the system actually works instead of fighting it every single day.

I spoke about this at the WIRAM Virtual Global Summit 2026, in a session titled "Grit, Governance, and Growth: Leading Behavioral Change in Critical Asset Management", with WIRAM chapters from Africa, Asia, the UK, Canada and the USA.

First published on LinkedIn, 1 September 2026.