Question: What does the Legitimate Leadership Model say about dealing with “victims” in organisations?

Answer: The issue of ‘victimhood’ is surfacing more and more as the world of work has become more complex, and where people are confronted with the lack of time and with mounting pressures to perform. On the surface, this victimhood mentality is evident in people blaming others (finger-pointing) when held accountable (vs. taking ownership). There is also another way in which it appears, and it’s that of entitlement. We frequently hear this from managers who say employees are often ‘disgruntled’ and want frequent promotions, regular bonuses, and so on. This victim mentality is evident in a ‘taking’ intent. In contrast, the opposite is people coming to work to make an exceptional contribution, to support both their managers and their colleagues, and, in essence, to give unconditionally to the organisation. When people give unconditionally, they become stronger, and paradoxically, promotions and bonuses tend to happen more consistently…

Let’s look at some other distinctions the Legitimate Leadership Model makes when it comes to victims: Being a victim bears no relationship to age, gender, nationality, culture or life circumstances. Any person can be a victim.

• Being a victim is not a function of life’s circumstances but about one’s response to life’s circumstances.
• Victims behave in a way in which they focus on being here “to get”, which puts them in a position of weakness. It is a position of weakness because when they want something (such as significance or recognition) from others, it is beyond their control. The control (and strength) then is with the other person.
• Victims behave in ways in which they focus mainly on the past, where they are stuck.
• In their language use, they gripe or blame.
• Victims tend to be driven by their needs as opposed to their values. This makes them immature rather than mature.

The Legitimate Leadership framework is about holding people appropriately accountable for their attitudes, and we believe that leaders play a significant role in enabling a shift away from a victim mindset. This shift is about the person shifting from victim to master, by shifting:

• Their attention from the past to the future.
• Their intention from taking to giving.

… and for them to be accountable.

This is achieved through our Gripe-to-Goal process, in which the leader enables the victim to shift into a new position of accountability, from which they can engage from a position of strength. In a sense, the leader’s “care” is reflected in them holding the direct report accountable to take ownership of the situation they’re in.

This concept is captured in a popular Legitimate Leadership saying: “It is true that all managers are dealt a pack of cards. But thereafter, it is the manager’s job to enable people to change. It is fine, in other words, for a manager to have the same people as a year ago, but not to have the same people the same”.