Closing the Biggest Deal Didn’t Save Me

It was my birthday.

That morning, I walked into the office excited, not just because I planned a team lunch, but because I had just secured the largest deal in the year: a 1-megawatt data center. It involved multiple business units and would bring in revenue well beyond my compensation structure.

I greeted my colleagues with a smile, ready to celebrate. Then someone told me, “The VP wants to see you in the conference room.”

I thought maybe it was recognition. Maybe we’d talk commission. After all, the VP had flown in from Mexico, and HR from Rhode Island.

Instead, I was laid off.

“Your role is being restructured,” they said. “Pack your things and please don’t make a scene.”

On my birthday. After closing the biggest deal in the region.

I remember thinking: Do they even know me? Do they think I’d cause a scene? Why now?

Later, I learned the truth: the Miami office was under scrutiny, and leadership needed to “sacrifice” people who weren’t part of their inner circle. Eventually, those same directors were fired.

The Lesson

That day taught me a lesson I’ll never forget: in the corporate world, doing a great job isn’t always enough.

The corporate jungle runs on more than performance. It runs on perception, politics, and positioning.

If your goal is to climb the corporate ladder, understand that reality.
It’s not bad. It’s just the way it is.
To thrive, you need to be more than excellent at your work. You need to be a politician, a chameleon, a master of perception.

That’s not cynicism. It’s survival.