A Story Every Leader Needs to See Before the Year Ends
It’s December — for some, it’s the season of reflection and responsibility.
For others, if we’re honest… it’s a whole lot of deflection masquerading as “holiday stress.”
The pace is frantic.
Everyone’s stretched.
Pressure is high.
Patience is low.
And somewhere in your organisation — maybe even in your own team — a moment like this is unfolding…
The Scene That Plays Out More Often Than Leaders Think
It’s the final stretch before the break.
Everyone’s tired.
Everyone’s trying to get through the last meetings, deliverables, deadlines.
A woman — steady, competent, respectful — raises a concern in a project discussion.
It’s not dramatic.
It’s not personal.
It’s not accusatory.
She simply brings forward a situation where a mistake was made that crossed a line — ethically, professionally… perhaps even legally.
It has exposure, so it needs to be openly discussed and addressed.
There is runway to act, tighten controls, and reduce further risk.
Though suddenly there is an uncomfortable pause.
You can feel the room shift.
That moment where truth sits on the table waiting to be acknowledged.
And then, instead of accountability, something else arrives.
A man across from her — stressed, defensive, wound tight from the year — leans back in his chair, smirks, and in a condescending tone, says:
“Alright Karen… settle down.”
Half-laughing.
Half-mocking.
Fully intentional.
A few people look away.
A few force polite smiles.
A few tense up, hearts in their throats.
Whether it’s the “Karen” comment, intimidation, sarcasm, or some other belittling move — these are all weaponised deflection tactics.
And these tactics run rampant across departments, businesses, and governments today.
Yet we often watch silently, becoming bystanders who unintentionally allow this behaviour to root itself into culture.
The damage — whether acknowledged or not — is incredibly harmful and compounding.
Every time it happens, it reinforces its place in your cultural DNA.
The bridge between colleagues — the one required for trust, collaboration, and performance — can be blown apart in a single breath.
And the woman in our scenario?
She shrinks back.
Not because she’s wrong.
Not because she’s unsure.
But because she’s just been publicly shamed for having the courage to speak up… to do her job.
And in so many cases, the conversation simply moves on.
The meeting continues.
Deadlines resurface.
Everyone tells themselves it was “just a joke.”
But here’s the truth:
A grenade has been thrown.
The damage has already begun.
And the core issue she raised now sits unaddressed, leaving the organisation exposed.
Why Deflection Should Trigger Instant Alarm Bells
Before going any further, leaders need to recognise something critical:
Deflection is not misunderstanding.
Deflection is not miscommunication.
Deflection is not stress talking.
Deflection is evidence.
The moment someone reaches for sarcasm, belittling, intimidation, a “joke,” a weaponised label like “Karen,” or any tactic designed to redirect the spotlight, you are seeing — in real time:
- responsibility being avoided
- accountability being rejected
- truth being pushed aside
- ego taking the wheel
- and risk beginning to rise
Deflection is never subtle.
It’s never harmless.
It’s never accidental.
It is a deliberate pivot away from owning one’s behaviour.
And here’s what leaders must understand:
When deflection appears, accountability has already left the room.
When leaders ignore deflection, they normalise it.
When they normalise it, they multiply it.
And when it multiplies, it becomes culture.
Culture isn’t shaped by grand strategies.
It’s shaped in micro-moments — especially the uncomfortable ones leaders overlook or excuse.
Once deflection becomes acceptable, courage disappears.
Truth disappears.
Psychological safety disappears.
And so does performance.
The Reality: This Scenario Happens Every Day
Maybe you’ve witnessed this.
Maybe you’ve felt it.
Maybe — unintentionally — you’ve even done it.
But now is the time to wake up and become aware:
These moments don’t live in meetings.
They live in people.
They lodge in the mind of the person who was silenced.
They ripple out through the team.
They change how people show up.
They alter psychological safety.
They dictate who speaks next… and who never will again.
They stop your people from raising concerns, mistakes, or dangerous situations.
You just shot the messenger.
This is where a workplace stops being collaborative and begins to feel more like a war zone.
And it doesn’t take shouting to create one.
It only takes:
- sarcasm
- belittling
- intimidation
- “jokes”
- weaponised labels
- deflection
- and avoidance
Each one is a grenade disguised as communication.
The Questions That Separate Leaders From Bystanders
As you close out the year, this is the moment to face your truth:
👉 Are you seeing others become victims?
Are people in your team being shut down, humiliated, or silenced when they raise legitimate concerns?
👉 Are YOU the one becoming the victim?
Are you the one being labelled?
Are you shrinking, armouring up, or second-guessing yourself because someone else refuses accountability?
👉 Or — the hardest question — are you using these tactics?
Not because you’re malicious.
Not because you’re unprofessional.
But because pressure, fatigue, learned behaviour, or ego has you reaching for grenades instead of responsibility.
No judgement.
Only awareness.
Because you cannot change what you cannot see.
And December is the ideal moment to finally see it.
The Fallout That Echoes Long After the Meeting Ends
When people are dodging emotional grenades at work:
They are not strategic.
They are not performing.
They are not collaborating.
They are not innovating.
They are not protecting the organisation.
They are not protecting the house.
They are simply surviving.
And survival is one of the lowest possible performance states.
No one wins in a war zone.
Not the leader.
Not the team.
Not the organisation.
Not the outcomes.
Where Leadership Is Defined
If you recognise yourself in this story — as the observer, the one silenced, or the one who threw the first grenade — then this moment is yours.
Because the way we treat each other is the culture.
The way we respond to accountability is the risk.
And the behaviours we tolerate become the behaviours we quietly teach.
So this Christmas, the greatest gift you can give your team — and yourself — is not wrapped in paper.
It’s wrapped in courage:
✨ Stop the grenades.
✨ Rebuild the bridges.
✨ Choose accountability over ego.
✨ Choose courage over comfort.
✨ Choose leadership over avoidance.
Because the people who speak up?
They are not the problem.
They are, more often than not, the protectors of your house.
A Risk Rebel Christmas Wish
May you see what has long needed to be seen.
May you call out what must no longer be allowed to stand.
May you repair what is waiting to be rebuilt.
May you safeguard the courage that keeps your culture alive.
May you end the quiet war zones no one wants to name — but everyone feels.
Because this is how leaders grow.
This is how trust is restored.
This is how you protect your people — and the house.
Merry Riskmas, Rebels.
And if you’re ready to unearth a stronger leadership pathway, we’re here to walk it with you.
What say you?
