Infamous troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan seems to get embroiled in legal trouble more often than most of us change our socks. It seems that every time Ms. Lohan gets caught in some problem or another, she blames those around her for leading her astray. Even though the California Judge in her last court appearance warned her that she should steer away from the wild nightlife she seems addicted to, that has not stopped her from clocking a woman in a club and getting arrested for it…. and, of course, proceeding to blame the “bad people” who influence her for her disastrous actions.

In a recent blog on Company Founder entitled Stop Whining – Put Your Big Boy Pants On, Paul Morin outlined his top ways that you can set yourself and your company above the countless whiners who blame the world around them for their problems. Here is the gist of Morin’s “fashion advice” for taking on the slacks of responsibility:

  1. Take control – You have the ultimate say over how you get yourself into and out of situations. You are not driven by your competition or even your customer base to do anything that will turn out to be unseemly or negative. If you exercise that control with wisdom, creativity and intelligence, your brand image will soar. If you don’t, then there is no end to the depths you will plumb.
  2. Don’t be a victim – People who willingly become victims have a common denominator in that they generally lack self-respect. The best way to portray your respect for your business and yourself is to be firm in the belief that you are acting in the most proper and ethical manner possible at all times. If you do not have the ultimate and justified respect in your company and its actions then that will be amply demonstrated to everyone who follows your social media presences. Then you will never be perceived as a victim but as an authoritative leader.
  3. Do it now – Procrastination is an evil corrosion that creeps into businesses and rots them away from the inside out. There is almost never any justifiable excuse to put off to tomorrow (or next week or next year or next century) what you should do today. It may be time consuming or even unpleasant, but in order to keep problems from mushrooming out of control you need to squash them as they appear.
  4. Set an example – Your company is looked upon in the social media sphere as a thought leader, so you have to keep striving to maintain that authoritative status. Ensure that every action you take is upstanding and constructive and you will not only provide ample reason for your followers to keep looking to you through your leadership role, but you will also attract many new customers who wish to associate themselves and their fortunes with your shining star.
  5. Shun the ostrich approach – Sticking your head in the sand hoping that a challenge or problem will just fade away by itself is a recipe for disaster. Obstacles need to be confronted head on and you can’t rest until they’re eliminated. This scenario is doubly applicable to any negative aspect that tarnishes your social media presence. Everyone is human and we all make mistakes. If you do err, taking immediate and positive action will go a long way towards decimating your obstacles.

The victim mindset is ultimately destructive to not only the individual or entity but to those around them. There is no reason to whine and moan that the world is against you and that everything is terrible when you can take responsibility for your own actions. However, by far the best way to keep from becoming a witting or unwitting victim is to not veer off the path of ethics and propriety. If you do not transgress you will have no reason to see yourself as a victim and your entire social media presence will benefit from it!