One of my key leadership team members has started adopting a victim mentality, constantly complaining that our growth is ruining the company culture. How do I address this attitude before it poisons the rest of the team?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leader who views company growth as an enemy is a liability. This attitude usually stems from fear. The business is outgrowing their ability to control it, and rather than adapting, they are blaming the growth itself to protect their ego. First, understand that this is a core values and alignment issue. In EOS, leaders must be fully aligned with the V/TO and support the company's direction. If a leader is actively mourning the past and spreading negativity, they are failing to lead. Schedule a private conversation. Do not argue about whether the culture has changed; of course it has changed, because a twenty-person company cannot operate like a five-person company. Instead, ask them directly what they are afraid of losing and what is driving their frustration. Help them see that scale is necessary for the company to survive and provide opportunities. Challenge them to define what they mean by culture. If they define culture as smallness and lack of process, they are in the wrong place. If they define it as core values, show them how process and discipline actually protect those values at scale. Give them a clear choice. They can either help shape the new version of the culture and own their seat, or they can gracefully exit. If they choose to stay, make their attitude and alignment a measurable expectation. If they continue to complain and drag down morale, you must remove them from the leadership team immediately.