Unapologetically Stepping Into Your Villain Era

Executives, leaders, and professionals are often expected to be the go-to person - someone who solves problems, keeps things running smoothly, and goes above and beyond for others.  

Somewhere along the way, that constant “yes” can start to feel like a burden.  

This is when you know it’s time to rethink the role you’ve been playing. 

Recently, the concept of a “villain era” has gained popularity, especially in creative and personal development circles. Millennials know exactly what this phrase means – and they might be on to something. 

"Villain era” might sound provocative, but it’s not about embracing bad behavior or causing harm.  

Instead, stepping into your villain era refers to reclaiming your energy, setting firm boundaries, and no longer feeling the need to constantly please others at your own expense. It is a metaphor for moving away from overextending yourself and stepping into a phase where you prioritize your own time, energy, and goals.  

In professional terms, it’s about recognizing that being the “hero” in every scenario isn’t sustainable - and prioritizing yourself doesn’t make you the bad guy.  

 Think of it less as “villainy” and more as taking back control. 

Executives, particularly, are often asked to shoulder a lot of responsibility, making decisions and sacrifices that benefit everyone but themselves. Not only are you asked, but you are constantly invited into a hero role by others for a variety of reasons: there is a lack of clarity with respect to group product, strategic goals, deliverables, deadlines, and when managing crisis.

In short - people come to you looking for solutions when they are confused about what to do. 

When a leader is constantly putting out fires, it is easy to lose sight of the line between what is your responsibility and what is other people's responsibility.

There comes a point where constantly saying “yes” leaves you stretched thin.  

The villain era is simply a shift in mindset - a refusal to continue playing the hero for everyone else at the cost of your own productivity and well-being. 

Rather than being a “fixer” for every problem, stepping into this era means you’ll set boundaries that ensure your own priorities are respected and about leading with focused intention, rather than always reacting to the needs of others. 

As a leader, you are meant to be responsive. 

Not reactive. 

The Hidden Costs of Always Being the Heroic Leader 

Heroic leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes the leader as a central, almost singular figure who takes charge, solves problems, and drives the success of an organization through personal effort and decision-making. It often involves a “hero” mindset, where the leader is seen as the savior or fixer, taking on the bulk of responsibility rather than empowering others to share in leadership and decision-making.  

This archetype has been glorified in business culture as the ultimate model of leadership: the tireless, ever-present leader who sacrifices their own well-being for the good of the company or team. (Just writing that feels exhausting and makes me feel a little nauseous!) 

While inspiring in the short term, this model can create dependency, limit team development, and result in leader burnout. The constant need to fix things or “save the day” comes with hidden costs, including burnout, decision fatigue, and a lack of time to focus on strategic goals.

When you’re always playing the hero, you become the linchpin of every process. If you don’t lead with intention and goal directed and prioritized clarity, you risk becoming the bottleneck to an otherwise clear strategy. 

Colleagues, clients, and employees come to rely on your intervention rather than finding solutions themselves. In this scenario, your own priorities - whether personal or professional - take a backseat.  

Over time, this can lead to frustration, exhaustion, and even resentment. 

The real challenge for executives is understanding you don’t have to be everything to everyone.  

In fact, the more you overextend yourself, the less effective you become. (This is science.)

Stepping back and reassessing where your energy is most valuable allows you to focus on the bigger picture - and that’s what true leadership is about.

Setting Boundaries is a Leadership Strategy 

When you set clear limits on your time and energy, you clearly communicate direction and responsibility, set up a system of accountability, keep everyone focused, and model a healthy approach to work-life balance that others will follow. 

Saying “no” to certain tasks or requests doesn’t make you less of a leader - it makes you more effective. You demonstrate your time is valuable and choosing to focus on the initiatives that truly move the needle.  

You cannot escape the reality that boundaries are essential for sustaining long-term success.  

By setting clear expectations about your availability, decision-making bandwidth, workload capacity, and focus areas, you empower your team to be singularly focused on and take ownership of the direction you and your team have decided to go.

Not everything requires your direct involvement, and by stepping back, you give others the opportunity to step up. 

Embracing Boundaries Means Standing for Something 

The villain era is especially relevant for executives because it’s not about standing against anyone or anything - it’s about standing firmly for something.  

In a professional context, setting and holding boundaries is closely aligned with and protective of your mission, your values, and your strategic goals. 

When you stand firm in your priorities, you will meet pushback.  

A colleague who expects constant availability. 

A client who demands more than your scope allows, 

You will appear the “villain” because you’re no longer overextending yourself to meet their expectations. When you change, people will feel the discomfort of you not doing things in a way that serves them. 

The pushback will be an attempt to get you to return to behaviors that made their lives easier, and they have gotten used to. 

Maintaining your boundaries will force others to change because you are clear about what you are doing while staying tightly aligned with your priorities. 

Boundaries is nothing more than you simply standing for what’s most important - your long-term goals, your well-being, and your vision for sustainable success. 

The more you stand for what truly matters to you - whether it’s leading your organization with clarity or maintaining a healthy work-life balance - the more you might be misunderstood by those who were comfortable with your reflexive habit of saying "yes". 

Leadership isn’t about pleasing everyone; it’s about steering the ship toward the destination that aligns with what is truly valuable to you. 

Standing Firm Against Pushback

Setting boundaries and shifting your focus to higher-level strategic goals will, without a doubt, ruffle some feathers. There will always be people who prefer the old version of you - the one who says “yes” to every request, who fixes every problem, and who sacrifices their own needs for the sake of others. 

So how do you handle this pushback?

You must recognize that other people's discomfort to hearing your "no" is not your problem. You’re not responsible for managing how others feel about the boundaries you set.

As a leader, you are ultimately in charge and can shape the culture of your team and organization in any direction you would like. This is also the reason you are ultimately responsible for the culture you not only promote but, the one that actually exists.

Move accordingly by focusing on the long-term gains of this approach.  

By standing firm in your priorities, you’re creating a culture that values efficiency, clarity, and respect for everyone’s time, not just your own. 

Thriving in Your “Villain Era” 

Recognize that your leadership is more valuable and impactful when you’re well-rested, clear-headed, and strategically focused - not when you’re running on empty because you’ve taken on everyone else’s problems. 

• Set Clear Priorities: Focus on high-impact tasks that align with your strategic goals. Delegate what can be delegated and empower your team to handle the rest. 

• Learn to Say No: “No” is a strategic tool. Use it wisely to protect your time and energy for the things that truly matter. 

• Communicate Transparently: Let others know why you’re setting boundaries and how it benefits the larger vision. This helps mitigate resistance and reinforces your leadership. 

• Stand Firm in Your Values: Understand that leadership is about standing for something. Not everyone will agree with you, and that’s okay. Your role is to lead with a conviction, not to make everyone happy. 

Stepping into your “villain era” as an executive isn’t about becoming the bad guy.  

It’s about recognizing the value of your time, your energy, and your ability to lead effectively.  

You’re no longer trying to be the hero for everyone else - you’re here to lead, to prioritize, and to focus on what matters most. 

If reclaiming your time and setting boundaries makes you the villain in someone else’s story, so be it.  

The most effective leaders are the ones who know when to say no, when to delegate, and when to stand firm in their priorities - which means saying yes to what contributes to agreed upon goals and what is a distraction. The true measure of leadership isn’t in how much you do, but in how well you lead yourself and your team to achieving organizational goals. 

Be the hero and the main character in your own story and life.

Be the leader that guides the story of what and how your team delivers.

And if standing up for yourself means others will see you as the bad guy in their story, let them. 

It is not your concern, your responsibility, or even within your control what role others cast you in. 

At the end of the day, your villain era isn’t about fighting against anyone.  

It’s about standing for yourself, for your values, for the life you want to live, and for the quality of the work you want to deliver.

So, here’s to your villain era - may you step into it boldly, with boundaries set, and priorities that put your own happiness front and center so you can show up fully focused, gracious, and with clear intention.