Career Myths: Lies We Are Sold

Career myths create a false sense of control and a belief that success follows a tidy playbook. The article shows how these stories hide the systemic forces-budget cycles, reorganizations, market shifts-that actually drive outcomes. By exposing the gap between perceived agency and reality, it forces leaders to rethink how they set expectations for themselves and their teams.

The first myth, "I control my outcomes," mirrors the classic attribution error in leadership. Promotions are credited to personal brilliance, while setbacks are blamed on personal failings, ignoring the larger system that creates or destroys opportunities. The piece cites examples from Google and Enron to illustrate how timing and external forces can outweigh individual effort.

The second myth, the "proven playbook," is debunked through survivorship bias. The MBA-to-consulting-to-startup trajectory looks inevitable, yet countless peers who followed the same steps stalled or failed. The narrative that a linear path guarantees advancement ignores the chaotic, improvisational nature of real careers.

To counter these myths the author proposes bounded accountability and process orientation. Bounded accountability narrows the scope of personal responsibility, separating what you can truly influence from what lies outside your control. Process orientation shifts focus from chasing visible outcomes to building repeatable capabilities and positioning that work across scenarios. This reframes work as a series of incremental actions rather than a hunt for a singular breakthrough.

Technical leaders who adopt this mindset avoid the burnout of hyper-accountability and make better strategic decisions. By recognizing systemic constraints and emphasizing adaptable processes, they can guide teams through uncertainty without overpromising or falling into fatalism.