Betrayal. Politics. Unfairness

Sometimes I sit with this thought quietly. A pattern of betrayal. Politics. Unfairness.

And I remind myself that anyone in that situation would feel hurt. Angry. Confused.

This was never just about one person or one incident.It was about Power. Insecurity. Ego. Weak leadership traits that can show up in anyone.

What I consistently ran into were people who felt threatened by competence.
People who valued optics over outcomes.
People who used politics instead of accountability.
People who protected themselves by pushing others down.

And I have to tell myself something honestly that  "short-term systems often reward political survival, not values".

People who control narratives.
People who align upward instead of delivering downward.
People who deflect blame early.
People who sacrifice others to stay “clean.”

They can rise. Temporarily. That rise is not proof of merit. It’s proof of system weakness.

I also had to redefine what karma really looks like.

Karma is not instant punishment.It’s not public downfall.It’s not career collapse.

Karma usually looks quieter than that.

They may keep climbing… but cannot build trust.
They may get roles… but burn teams.
They may gain titles… but lose credibility quietly.
They may live in constant fear of exposure.

And when I noticed certain things.... subtle cracks, small signals. I realised something important. That’s karma in motion. Not in headlines. In patterns.

Then I ask myself  "how do I protect my values and my future without becoming bitter?"

First, I stop expecting fairness from broken systems.I expect patterns, not justice. Justice may come later. Strategy comes now.

Second, I upgrade. Not from honest contributor to political player. But from honest contributor to wise operator. Integrity doesn’t mean silence.It doesn’t mean innocence.It means documenting decisions.Managing perception without lying.Building allies before I need them. Never assuming competence speaks for itself. I don’t need to become political.I need to become politically aware.

Then comes the part that matters most "redefining success". If my mind stays stuck on “They rose. I suffered.” I lose twice. So I ask better questions:

Am I still respected by people who matter? Do juniors trust me? Can I sleep without guilt? Would I hire myself again?

If the answer is yes... and it is then I’m ahead, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet.

Now about the anger. I don’t suppress it anymore.Anger unexpressed turns inward  into stress, health issues, self-doubt. But anger used well becomes boundaries. Sharper judgment.Better hiring instincts.Clearer red-flag detection.I am not broken.I am battle-trained.

And from all of this, I’ve shaped something for myself  a personal leadership philosophy.

Not a slogan. A filter.

“I lead with competence, fairness, and clarity.
I do not trade integrity for speed or approval.
I will not absorb dysfunction silently.
I choose environments where outcomes matter more than optics.”

And then I made non-negotiables.

I will not be the sole bearer of responsibility without authority.
I will not fix others’ incompetence quietly.
I will not accept vague criticism without written specifics.
I will not train replacements without role clarity.
I will not be loyal to people who are not loyal to truth.

If a role violates two or more of these ... I disengage early. No heroics.

This alone would have saved me some years. Then I built a new operating model for myself  politically-aware but values-safe.

Nothing important lives only in my head. If it’s not written, it didn’t happen.

Estimates assumptions documented. Decisions  options and rationale emailed. Risks  surfaced early and repeatedly. That’s not defensiveness. That’s professional self-respect.

I also learned to manage upward narrative, not just delivery. The people who hurt me controlled stories, not systems.So I counter with clarity. Monthly one-pagers: outcomes, risks, asks.Explicit trade-offs.Named dependencies without blame. This helped!

Silence helps politicians. Clarity protects builders.

My response is simple: “Let’s align together with facts and expectations.” I also stopped waiting too long to build allies.

One skip-level ally.
One peer/leader ally.
One junior who trusts me.

Politics becomes harder when witnesses exist. And I changed how long I tolerate patterns.

by observing, by assessing. by deciding all with a timeline!

though someimes TIME may be the healer for all wounds & suffering.

Then there is the emotional residue. This wasn’t just career disappointment. It was moral injury.

“I did the right thing. Why did I pay the price?” “Why are they winning?” “What’s the point of values?”

That pain doesn’t disappear with logic. But one freeing truth helped me:

Their success does not invalidate my values.It only exposes the system they’re in.

I don’t heal by waiting for their downfall.I heal by decoupling my worth from their trajectory.

Sometimes I write  not to send, just to release:

What did I give honestly? What was taken unfairly? What will I never tolerate again?

Then I close it.

Closure is leadership towards self.

And when the old thought returns “Why are they rising?” I shift the question.

What kind of leader does that system reward? And do I want to belong there? Sometimes being rejected is data, not failure. I remind myself of one final grounding truth:

People who rise by hurting others must keep hurting.
People who rise by values only need to stay persistent,consistent & with gratitude.

My path may be slower. But  I will never walk back!

And when systems shake  I tell myself this often. Through my moving thoughts , just breathe , let go and  I keep moving on!

The show must go on!