It starts small—grumbling about unfairness, blaming others for missed deadlines, pointing out why nothing ever works. But before long, the victim mindset spreads. Suddenly, everything is someone else’s fault, progress stalls, and your team is stuck in a cycle of excuses and resentment. This isn’t harmless venting. It’s sabotage. A chronic victim in the room drains energy, poisons morale, and conditions everyone else to lower their standards. The longer it goes unchecked, the more your team normalizes blame over responsibility. And once that takes hold, you’re no longer leading a group of problem-solvers—you’re managing a pity party. The trap most leaders fall into? Trying to fix it for them. But the more you rescue, the deeper they sink into helplessness—and the more control you lose. In this episode, I’ll show you how to shut down the victim cycle without becoming the villain. You’ll learn how to draw clear lines, redirect responsibility, and restore accountability so your team stays focused on solutions—not sob stories. Because leadership isn’t about carrying everyone’s excuses. It’s about pulling people back to ownership when they’d rather stay stuck in blame.
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