Never depend on cronies to boost your rise in the ranks. Earn your way, charge on your own steam. Progress by your merits and good work. If you end up artificially near the top of an institution or are thrust into the spotlight—without crawling and clawing every inch of the way on your own—then you won’t have endured enough character-building experiences to know what to do once you’ve arrive.
So, never join a group or club or frat or local church or donor group with any goal of advancing your career.
The Chinese philosopher Han Fei Tsu was against “secret societies” because they create dual allegiances. One cannot serve two masters. If you want to gain privileges and club points through your day job, your day job career will suffer. If you exploit your friends and coworkers for an MLM, your career and friendships will suffer. In all of your work remain loyal to that work.
It’s alright to have multiple companies and jobs, even to join local do-gooder clubs, but when it comes to footsie and secret handshakes at the negotiation table, your businesses and strategies won’t hold their own water. Never accept “career help” from any group that offers it. Never. They need you more than you need them.
Don’t expose them, their destructive wake is easily located—people who don’t have any explainable reason for being in charge probably don’t have one. When a company is failing and people ask how “that idiot” got into power, whether conspiracy or not, he is probably in that power seat because his friends helped him get it.
In the Bible-based worldview, Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He can provide you with whatever favor you need. Even when you are surrounded by cronyism, those collapsing institutions need uncompromising, singly-loyal “wise counselors” like Daniel and Esther to help keep their self-sabotaged structures from completely falling down.
Jesus stands unique, not only among religions, but also in contrast to fraternities. Jesus already owns every institution on Earth. Loyalty to Jesus doesn’t carry any conflict to normal, healthily operating institutions that society relies on to function. So, let Jesus be your Mentor.
Matthew 11:25-27; 28:18, Ephesians 1:20-23; 5:12-14, Philippians 2:9-11, Colossians 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:21-22