One of the reasons it’s hard to advance in large corporations is because people are basing their decisions on false information. The lies are pervasive to the point of propaganda. The Senior Leaders say them, the managers repeat them and the employees believe them.

The problem with these lies is that they are almost universally believed, from the Peons up through the management chain. Only after you get to the upper echelon of a company do you realize just how ridiculous some of these beliefs actually are, and by then, you don’t need to be told they are lies. You might not think this makes sense, so let me give you an example that may help clarify things.

Remember when you were a little kid and thought that your dog went to live on a farm when he got old? How long did that belief persist? How old were you before you realized the truth? I had a friend who was in his late 20s when it finally hit him – Spot hadn’t gone to a farm at all! So why didn’t he realize it earlier? He’s a bright guy – it should have been obvious.

The reason was he heard the lie when he was young and no one ever challenged it. So he continued on his merry way, happy that Spot was living a full and rich existence someplace in the countryside of Massachusetts. When the truth was revealed (accidentally by his brother), he was crushed and felt like an utter fool. So it is with the corporate lies. You’re told them the day you start and unless someone challenges you, you just believe them.

Each lie is told to make you work harder and the company more profitable. They work because there are small elements of truth in each of them. As a result, everyone takes these lies as truth and no Ladder Climber will ever reveal the truth for fear of the company’s wrath.

Some of these you’ll already know and some will surprise you, but there’s no point in avoiding talking about them any longer. It’s time to learn where Spot went…

This short novella (about 11,000 words) is also available as part of the business strategy book "How To Steal Your Boss's Job: Corporate Secrets and Dirty Tricks to Get the Job YOU Deserve" by Warlizard.