The Work

The Work Volume  4: Corporate Intelligence: The Skill We Don’t Talk About Enough

Every few years, corporate culture adopts a new buzzword. Lately, that word has been Emotional Intelligence. And I genuinely love that for everyone.

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Emotional intelligence matters. Self-awareness matters. Communication matters. But there is another form of intelligence that quietly determines who advances, who stalls, and who stays unseen — and it’s rarely discussed.

I call it Corporate Intelligence.

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No, this is not about sounding more “professional” or code-switching. That’s the baseline, not the skill. Corporate Intelligence is the ability to understand how decisions are actually made, how influence works, and how to position yourself strategically inside complex systems — without shrinking, posturing, or burning out.

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If you’ve ever noticed that higher-level professionals don’t always sound “corporate,” this is why. They can speak freely because they understand how to move through systems that serve them, not the other way around.

People love to say, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

I’d challenge that.

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It is what you know — and how you decide to move.

Most of us know at least one or two people in higher positions. The real question is whether we are brave enough to seek guidance from them, or whether ego, fear, or perceived hierarchy keeps us silent.

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We see this play out constantly. The person who steps into leadership after “the big boss” is rarely a random top performer. It’s often the boss’s right hand — the person who understood proximity, visibility, and trust.

Moving within systems requires seeing the bigger picture. It requires letting go of the idea that performance alone will carry you.

I learned this the hard way.

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Once, when I didn’t get a role I believed I was more than qualified for, the feedback was simple: “No one knows you.” At the time, I took that as an insult. Why should being known matter more than what I knew and how I performed?

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Now I understand something I didn’t then. Leadership is not about how well you do your job. It’s about how you impact your environment and the people around you. Impact is one of the most valuable traits of a leader — and a core component of corporate intelligence.

When professionals feel successful on paper but powerless in practice, the issue usually isn’t motivation or confidence. It’s misalignment between self-worth, strategy, and the environment they’re operating in.

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How to Begin Operating with Corporate Intelligence

• Get clear on where, how, and why you want to move within systems

• Understand that corporate environments are transactional — they should benefit you as much as the employer

• Don’t be afraid to pivot when alignment is gone

• Seek guidance from people operating at higher levels

• Stay curious instead of resentful

• Add value because you are valuable and use your voice

• Build internal relationships intentionally; this is not “kissing up,” it’s strategic alignment​

Corporate intelligence isn’t manipulation.
It’s awareness.

And awareness is how professionals stop waiting — and start moving with intention.