Debunking the Myth: Educated, Accomplished, and Still Experienced Workplace Harm

One of the most harmful myths I’ve encountered is the belief that if you’re smart enough, educated enough, or “good enough,” you won’t experience pain in the workplace. Let me tell you from personal experience—that couldn’t be further from the truth.

 Last week, a client shared why she engaged in a coaching experience with me. She said, “You’re a thriving scholar with an impressive administrative background, but even that wasn’t enough to protect you in a broken system. What drew me to you was that you’ve been through the same hurt I have, and you can guide me on how to move forward.”

This conversation reminded me of the false narrative that so many of us have been fed: that if we work hard, keep our heads down, and follow all the rules, we’ll be protected. But I’m here to debunk that myth.

No matter how accomplished you are, oppressive systems aren’t designed to protect you. Even a presidential award-winning, inaugural department chair like me, with a proven track record of leadership success, can still “fail” in an environment that refuses to address the harm it causes to those who expect equity. It’s not about how good you are—it’s about the system you’re in.

Let me break it down further:

Myth 1: If You Work Hard Enough, You’ll Be Safe

I’ve spent years reflecting on what it means to be accomplished but still not heard in workplaces that dangle the promise of diversity, equity, and inclusion like a carrot. No matter how hard you work or how qualified you are, systems built on gatekeeping and oppression are designed to push you out if you don’t conform. Hard work doesn’t protect you from that.

Myth 2: Your Education and Qualifications Will Shield You

Let me be clear—your degrees and qualifications won’t give you the access or protection you deserve. I’ve been labeled a “diversity hire,” despite my long list of credentials. This label meant I was treated as if I hadn’t earned my place, and my daily experience became a fight for recognition and respect. No matter how educated you are, if the system is broken, it will always find a way to undermine your value.

Myth 3: Staying Quiet Will Keep You Out of Harm’s Way

Some might think the solution is to stay quiet, to not rock the boat. But don’t be fooled by the illusion of peace. Staying quiet doesn’t exempt you from harm—it just delays the inevitable. In corrupt systems, if you challenge the status quo, expect retaliation. If someone has it out for you, they’ll find a way to get rid of you (e.g., push you out, isolate you, push you toward therapy), no matter how compliant you are.

Myth 4: The Problem Is You—Not the System

After sharing my story publicly, I heard the same refrain: “Maybe it just wasn’t a good fit.” People suggested that I should have vetted the organization better, as if that would have shielded me from the pain. But here’s the reality: in a corrupt workplace, it’s never about “fit”—it’s about the system’s unwillingness to address its own harm.

The Hard Truth: No Matter How “Good” You Are, It’s Not Enough in a Broken System

The harsh truth is, you can be a perfect employee—compliant, well-educated, accomplished—and still be crushed by a system that doesn’t want you to succeed. If you push against it, expect to be punished. I’ve seen it happen countless times. It happened to me.

In 2020, I went from leading a department as an inaugural chair to picking up the pieces of my professional career. I wasn’t sitting at any leadership table. I saw how quickly I could be derailed from a meticulously planned career in higher education to sitting on the bench, watching others achieve their leadership dreams.

As my mother transitioned, and I grieved the loss of my father too, I poured out my wishes in Microsoft Word and gave my characters the happily-ever-afters I didn’t see in real life. When I was going through work-related trauma, grief, and loss, I created the characters in my novels who moved as I wish I could have and who represented the professionals I needed in my life. I told the story of Dr. Miranda Childs, a young engineering professor who had a lifelong dream of becoming a professor, but left when it wasn’t what she expected.

I wanted a grief counselor like Jimi Gold to tell me I would be okay as a Black woman department chair. I wish employment attorney Noah Sanders could have listened to me and guided me as I shared my painful work story and sought justice against discrimination and harassment at work.

From my grief recovery program, I now know that the creation of these and other characters was a short-term energy-relieving behavior (STERB) that helped me make sense of what I experienced, along with my disappointment in a broken higher education system.

 Writing became my lifeline.

As I sat alone rationalizing a cruel workplace with a track record of silence in its humiliation and breaking of brilliant leaders, I created new communities and poured my pain into characters who deserved better than what I received. They cried with me and shared with the world what no one in my organization wanted to hear.

Finding Your Core in the Midst of Workplace Pain

As a coach, my first piece of advice to clients is to go back to your core—your source of joy and strength. When an organization strips you down, return to what grounds you. For me, that core is storytelling—sharing my truth through writing and speaking.

 Last week, I released my fifth book in less than a year. You read that right. I’ve published four novels (each with a minimum of 55,000 words) and a nonfiction book, Never Defeated, since October 2023.

I wrote to be seen. I wrote to be heard. I wrote so my voice would not die. 

I was ridiculed for my words by my supervisor and some colleagues, reported for exposing workplace injustices, and warned that my truth made the organization look bad. But my core—telling the truth—never left me. The calling on my life was destined before I entered my mother’s womb, and it didn’t matter how much opposition I faced. I wasn’t going to stop doing what I was called to do.

 The Power of Sharing Your Story

One day, a graduate student reached out to me on Twitter (the name at the time) and said she was contemplating ending her life. She told me that my words kept her going. That moment solidified what I already knew—the power of sharing a story is real and can change lives.

As an advocate for social justice, liberation meant something to me. When I faced the ugly truth about my organization and higher education in general, I found my liberation. Over time, I committed to helping others find theirs too.

If you’re in a broken system, don’t let people convince you that you’re not good enough to thrive in that space. You are more than enough—most likely it’s the system that needs to change.

And if you’re an ally, or more importantly an equity accomplice, it’s time to step up. Build the muscle to speak out when you see injustice. Don’t let the myth of being “good enough” keep you or others from fighting for real change in your workplace. 

That means calling issues out without shifts in one’s livelihood deterring you from doing so.

You are not alone in this journey. Your voice, your truth, and your core matter. Never let anyone take that away from you.

My Ask:

 If you have learned anything from me about being free at work or making spaces more inclusive and equitable, I have a few asks:

1. Share this post with someone who is trying to pick up the pieces of their work life.
2. Share my information with someone in a position of power at an organization seeking deliberate steps and guidance to make their workplace psychologically safe.
3. Consider joining me for a VIP Day where I will work directly with you to move to a place of liberation in your professional career.

Dr. Monica Cox is a professor, entrepreneur, author, and disruptor who guides leaders to drive systemic change and offers prophetic insights for clarity and restoration from toxic workplaces.  She uses fictional counternarratives in her novels and is the author of Never Defeated, an institutional healing balm for people who've been harmed by work or for leaders who want to create safer, more equitable spaces for employees to thrive. If you’re interested in coaching or consulting with Dr. Cox, complete this form.