It is hard to know when we begin our careers what the real price of success will be. When we first start out, it seems like the key to getting ahead is hard work and being smart. Yet at some point, many of us find ourselves, increasingly uneasy with the compromises and contradictions of organizational life. Over time, the requirements of surviving at work can take precedence over a growing number of other commitments, eclipsing not just our time, but subtly influencing our character.

Based on in-depth interviews with 55 business people from a variety of settings, The Compromise Trap describes how this gnawing doubt goes far beyond questions of work/life balance to whether we feel we can keep our word, keep our promises, say what we really think, or be the kind of person we want to be and still function in our organizations.