“Always the Villain?” Rethinking the Common HR Coping Narrative to Lead with Empathy and Strategy

“You’ll always be the villain in someone else’s story.”
It’s a phrase many HR pros and people managers lean on to cope with the emotional weight of tough decisions—but what happens when this mindset becomes a crutch instead of a tool?

In this article, we explore how overusing the "villain" narrative can quietly erode your influence as a strategic partner, enable toxic leadership, and cost your organization top talent. More importantly, we discuss how empathy and perspective—not defensiveness—can help you lead people-first change while still making the hard calls.

Because effective HR leadership isn’t about avoiding the villain role. It’s about owning the whole story.