The Office Buddha

Fighting the Corporate Soul

Aligning your work life with your core beliefs is a challenge. In the corporate world, employees are often expected to set aside their values from 9 to 5, adopting a different persona, “the corporate soul.” This version of yourself is fully dedicated to the company’s goals, often at the expense of authenticity.

You’ve probably seen this in your colleagues, people who seem like two different beings. Outside of work, they’re fun, passionate, and full of life. But the moment they step into the office, they transform into bitter, drained employees. I once worked with someone like this for years.

Outside of work, he was a cool, laid-back guy who loved baseball and ice hockey. But at work? He became a ball of stress, always expecting the worst, irritated by the smallest things. He barely made it through the day. Then, like magic, the moment he clocked out, he turned back into his relaxed, fun-loving self. It was as if he shed his corporate uniform and, along with it, his corporate soul.

“The corporate soul thrives on uniformity. It rejects what it cannot control.”

I understood why he did it. Sometimes, adopting this alternate persona is the only way to survive in a toxic work environment. But the higher up the corporate ladder you go, the harder it becomes to hold on to your true self. The company absorbs the person, leaving only the corporate soul. It’s almost an unspoken rule: You are no longer an individual—you belong to the company now.

But there are rare exceptions.

The Office Buddha

One of my favorite colleagues was someone I call the Office Buddha. He was always himself—pure, honest, and unapologetically human. While others saw only the corporate machine, he saw the people behind it.

But here’s the irony: being your true self in a corporate setting is both a strength and a liability. Those who resonate with you will celebrate you. Those who don’t will merely tolerate you. And corporate culture, which thrives on uniformity, will often reject what it cannot control.

My Office Buddha was one of those rare individuals both respected and resented. Respected for his value to the business, but resented by those who had long abandoned their human side.

The Takeaway

Most of us can’t just walk away from corporate life, it’s how we support ourselves and our families. But what we can do is learn from the Office Buddha.

“It’s better to be tolerated by many and loved by a few than to lose yourself trying to fit in.”

Stay true to yourself. The right people – the ones who value authenticity – will gravitate toward you. It’s better to be tolerated by many and loved by a few than to lose yourself trying to fit in. When you show up as your real self, work feels lighter, energy flows more easily, and meaningful connections emerge.

So, what will you choose?

Are you going to be an Office Buddha? Or have you met one before?