What is Corporate Adulting?

Is Corporate adulting the same as professional maturing?

Corporate adulting is what I call the “maturing experiences” that professionals go through in a corporate environment. Often, these aren’t the pleasant moments we brag about, but the tough ones that test our resilience and shape our character.

The end result of those experiences is mental and emotional resilience—key ingredients of executive maturity, which, in turn, opens doors for growth.

The corporate landscape

When I landed my first corporate job, I thought I was prepared. After all, I had years of leadership training in my college organization and within my church community. But I quickly discovered that nothing had prepared me for the corporate terrain.

I was caught flat-footed—and I paid for it with unnecessary emotional stress.

For instance, I was trained to be transparent about my weaknesses so that teammates could help me. In the corporate world, that backfired—I became a target for bullying.

As a youth leader, I was also trained to “cover the backs” of my team. But in the corporate world, I encountered bosses who were distrustful of their direct reports—and later realized some employees were indeed after their boss’s position.

I also had to unlearn one critical mindset: thinking my department was my team. I eventually understood that my real team was the company as a whole. By protecting only my group, I was unintentionally creating silos—small kingdoms competing within the larger kingdom.

In short, I made a lot of missteps. But I slowly learned. The best way to survive was to follow the rules, do my best work, and take the advice of my first branch manager:

“The one you replaced is a well-loved performing officer. It will be tough to replicate her accomplishments. My advice: settle down and be the best version of yourself. You’ll eventually find your place in this organization.”

Corporate Adulting: Responding to Hardship

Three years and two companies later, I thought I had mastered the art of survival. But climbing the corporate ladder brought new challenges.

When I was appointed probationary HR Manager in another company, I inherited tenured staff who resented me as an outsider. Some worked actively for my removal. Meanwhile, employees were petitioning for union recognition—a reflection of years of distrust between management and staff. And competitive managers were quick to blame HR for their own failures.

The pressure was relentless. I developed stress-related illnesses: diverticulosis, dermatitis, and chronic back pain. I had two choices: quit or keep swinging.

Quitting wasn’t an option for me. So I pushed forward—without the benefit of mental health support (which wasn’t even part of corporate vocabulary then).

At one of my lowest points, a colleague gave me a blunt reminder:

“Sonnie, if you want to pass your probationary period and remain a manager, don’t always look for help. Learn how to paddle your own canoe.”

It was harsh, but it forced me to dig deep.

Lessons in Corporate Adulting

Those seasons forced me to grow. I toughened emotionally. I learned that:

Fear of losing a job only paralyzes you. I stopped fearing it.
Fear of gossip or bad reports? I learned to confront issues directly.
Fear of labor disputes or external complaints? I dared people to come with a valid case—otherwise, they’d answer to me.
Fear of not being liked? I stopped being a man-pleasing office politician.

The turning point was when I realized: motivation cannot come from others. People may point you toward sources of inspiration or walk with you. Motivation comes from the greater power that is at work in the corporate environment.

This is where corporate adulting comes in:

Align – Accept the reality of the corporate landscape and align yourself with how things really work.
Strengthen – Build emotional resilience, critical thinking, and integrity through the trials.
Kickstart – Use those lessons to grow, take responsibility, and lead with maturity.

The Fruit of Corporate Adulting

What felt like endless hardship eventually paid off. Those difficult years forged the resilience and executive maturity that prepared me for the next level.

Eight years later, after a decade in the same company, I was headhunted and became an Assistant Vice President. Today, as a mentor and adviser to managers and business leaders, I look back at those experiences with gratitude.

That is the essence of corporate adulting: turning hardship into maturity, and maturity into leadership.