5 Reasons Why Climbing the Corporate Ladder Feels Harder Than Ever

For years, people assumed you could just work your way up by being good at your job. That was then. These days, career growth feels tougher, slower, and in some ways a lot less rewarding than it used to be.

And it’s not restricted to any one job role or industry. 

In fact, a study cited by HRD Asia references what’s called ghost growth, where workers experience career advancement that looks good on paper but amounts to little more than empty promises. There’s no meaningful raise in pay, no real promotion, and no increase in responsibility.

So why is this happening? Let’s explore real reasons why climbing the corporate Ladder has gotten more difficult.

You’re Relying on Mentors, Not Sponsors

Get a mentor. That’s one of the first things you hear when you start your career journey. 

A mentor will advise you, show you the ropes, and help you avoid mistakes. But advice never gets anyone promoted. Advocacy does. This is why you need a sponsor. 

You need someone who’ll talk about you, especially in closed-door meetings where promotions and plum assignments are decided. And it shows it in data, too. According to a McKinsey report, people with sponsors are promoted almost twice as often, making them nearly 100% more likely to advance than peers without sponsorship.

It seems backwards, right? But in most organizations, visibility and support matter as much as your actual performance review.

You’re Navigating Culture and Politics Badly

For many people, “corporate politics” is a dirty phrase. It’s something to be avoided. Big mistake. 

Whether we like it or not, companies are social systems. Promotion decisions often reward alignment, not just results. Are you working on what leadership truly values for the long term? Or are you doing good work in a low-impact area?

If you’re doing the latter, then you’re simply falling into the classic visibility trap: delivering excellent work that nobody influential sees. It’s about understanding the currents, not just swimming hard. 

A 2025 PWC survey found that employees who feel most aligned with leadership goals are 78% more motivated than those who report the least alignment. 

And guess what? Motivated employees are far more likely to take on high-impact projects. This gets them noticed by decision-makers, so that they’re considered leadership material.

Your Skills Aren’t Keeping Pace

There’s this concept called the Peter Principle. It basically says that people get promoted to their level of incompetence. In plain terms, that means what got you into your role probably won’t get you out of it.

Sometimes the skills needed to manage others aren’t the same as the skills that made you a star individual contributor. It’s that simple.

In 2026 and beyond, career advancement will depend more and more on new skills. Sometimes, even targeted, advanced education like enrolling in one of the many respected online Doctorate of Business Administration programs is needed if you’re serious about executive-level careers.

The good thing about programs like this is that they are now mostly 100% online. According to Marymount University, this means that you can balance your current career with the ability to study from anywhere.

The point here is, if you haven’t added any new skill or qualification to your career portfolio, do so. Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t just about what you’ve done. It’s about what you can convince others you can do next.

The Corporate Ladder Is Broken

Sometimes, it’s not you. There are simply fewer middle-management and senior roles right now, leading to insane competition. 

Business Insider reports that promotions in small and mid-sized firms, which used to be as high as 15% in early 2022 has dropped to 10% annually in recent years. Companies are “flattening” their structures.

We are also seeing the rise of the “dry promotion.” This is when your boss gives you a fancier title and more work, but no extra pay. In fact, Forbes reported that 13% of employers gave out dry promotions without any corresponding increase in salary in 2024.

Let’s also not forget the systemic barriers faced by women and people of color, or the frustrating “failing upward” phenomenon, where overconfidence and strong connections replace clear competence.

These structural barriers make the climb feel steeper and, too often, like a game you can’t win no matter how well you play it.

The Conscious Unbossing

Let’s be honest: not everyone even wants to climb anymore. In fact, a lot of people have stopped climbing because they are exhausted, not interested, or would rather grow as individual contributors rather than managing others.

That’s actually the current trend right now, “career plateauing by choice,” where people look at managerial and promotion opportunities and say, “No, thanks.”

Not surprisingly, it’s happening mostly with Gen Z and Millennial workers. According to Deloitte, only 6% of Gen Z and Millennials have a desire for a leadership position. 

To them, climbing the corporate ladder is a “high-stress, low-reward” career path.

This could actually be your problem. If you are struggling to move up, it might be because your subconscious is hitting the brakes.

Final Words

Climbing the corporate ladder has never been easy. But evolving workplace dynamics have made it genuinely harder than it’s been in years. 

So, where do you find yourself in all of these? Is it that you need to get an advocate? Or should you be thinking about getting more skills for the next level? 

Whatever the barrier, identifying it is half the battle.

Once you can identify what’s stopping your career growth, you can take real steps to make things right. Hopefully, this guide points you in the right direction.