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5 Signs You’re in a Corporate Cult
Employees often have no clue they’re even in them until it’s way too late.
Girlboss Daily
May 13, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Lara here, Girlboss’ contributing writer! 👋
I love a good cult documentary as much as the next gal, but do you ever get the spine-tingling sensation while watching that it all feels a little… familiar?! 👀 As much as we like to think cults are only on Netflix, corporate cults are more common than you’d think, and today we’re doing a deep dive into how to spot one for yourself. 🕵️♀️
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5 Signs You’re in a Corporate Cult 😱
If we learned anything from the Theranos and WeWork documentaries, it’s that corporate cults are very much a thing, and employees often have no clue they’re even in them until it’s way too late. 👀
The fascinating thing about cults is that they’re often formed in times of political and social upheaval (*cough* like now cough). According to Psychology Today, “When the future feels unknowable, a leader who claims to know it can become magnetic.”
TL;DR? Our current climate is ripe AF for cultish behavior, and the workplace can be the #1 breeding ground, especially under the pretense of company CULTure (see what we did there?).
🔎 How do I spot a cult?!
According to the London School of Economics, these are five signs to look for:
🙋♀️ You follow a charismatic leader with a world-changing vision: These leaders offer a compelling vision and often punish those who criticize or doubt.
👯♀️ Lack of DEI: In cults, everyone is expected to think and act the same, and individual expression (in any form!) is often shut down, ultimately enforcing conformity.
🫡 Excessive loyalty: Any company that requires you to prove your unquestioning loyalty, especially when it compromises your morals or values, is getting into cultish territory.
😬 Corporate Stockholm Syndrome: If you feel deeply emotionally invested in your company despite it being a toxic workplace that frequently burns you out, that’s corporate Stockholm Syndrome, babe!
🫧 You find yourself in a bubble of “believers”: Is it hard to differentiate your work personality from your actual identity? In corporate cults, outside relationships often fade, and work becomes an all-consuming bubble.
😵💫 How can I tell the difference between a healthy corporate culture and a corporate cult?
If our beloved cult docs taught us anything, the #1 difference is that you can leave at any time, but stay by choice. 🙂↕️ Beyond that, in a healthy work culture, “People are trusted to do their work, given the autonomy to do it well, and given a real sense of why it matters,” according to Psychology Today.
😱 What do I do if I’m in a corporate cult?!
Recognizing it is the first step. 🫂 If you feel like your work is headed down the path outlined above, flag it with your HR or higher-ups who can make a difference (it’s literally their job!). If change isn’t possible, GTFO: the longer you stay, the harder it will be to leave.
POLL: Have you worked in a cultish environment? |
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