February 25, 2026
I Never Fired Anyone… They Fired Themselves. A User’s Mindset for Early Career Professionals
It’s still relatively early in 2026, with new plans still rolling out and new hires finding their way, but in offices around the globe something familiar is already happening. People who started their roles full of excitement and good intentions are quietly losing traction. Not all of them, of course, but enough for us to raise a red flag.
You’ve seen it yourself. Deadlines slip. Curiosity fades. Follow-through gets fuzzy. Before long, someone isn’t “fired” so much as they’ve slowly fired themselves.
Not because they’re bad employees. Not because they lack ability. But because small, easy-to-overlook choices start stacking up. The ones that send a message: I’m disengaged, disconnected or done trying.
“No matter what career stage you’re in, but particularly if you’re early in your journey, you’ve probably heard plenty of advice about finding a great manager or a company that ‘invests in you,’ says ECLARO Co-Founder Paul Sheridan. “That’s all valuable. But here’s the truth that shows up in real workplaces every day: The mindset you bring to your work matters more than the job title on your résumé.”
And research backs it up, especially when you look at locus of control, motivation and why people actually leave (or get managed out).
The Invisible Performance Review Happens Every Day
In most workplaces, being let go isn’t a single dramatic moment. It’s the last page of a quiet story your behavior has been writing for months:
- You stop asking questions.
- You start missing details.
- You treat feedback like criticism instead of data.
- You show up physically but check out mentally.
- You only follow through when someone checks your work.
“Leaders need to coach and set expectations, but your daily choices speak louder,” ECLARO Co-Founder Tom Sheridan notes. “A manager rarely fires a high-accountability person. You either own the standard or opt out of it.”
Locus of Control: The Skill Nobody Lists on LinkedIn
“’Locus of control’ describes whether you believe your outcomes come from your own actions—internal locus—or from outside forces like luck or unfair systems—external locus,” Paul Sheridan says. “Research consistently finds that people with an internal locus outperform, adapt faster and stay more satisfied at work, because they connect effort to outcome.”
In plain English:
- External mindset: “They didn’t tell me.” “Nobody trained me.”
- Internal mindset: “I missed that—here’s how I’ll fix it.” “I asked for clarity.” “I own the outcome.”
Every job comes with ambiguity. The advantage goes to the person who chooses ownership anyway.
“Act Like an Owner” Isn’t a Slogan. It’s a Practice
Acting like an owner doesn’t mean working longer hours or being perfect. It means showing up with intention and responsibility.
You think:
- This deliverable has my name on it.
- My reputation lives in the small moments.
- This place works better because I do.
“Sometimes that’s fixing a process or preventing a client issue. Sometimes it’s as small as turning off the lights when you leave,” Tom Sheridan adds. “That tiny act says a lot. 'I notice. I care. I leave things better than I found them.’ That same mindset follows you into emails, meetings and projects.”
Why People Really Leave: Broken Trust and Low Autonomy
If you want to understand why people quietly check out or get managed out, two research-backed themes appear over and over:
1) The Psychological Contract — The Unspoken Deal
Turnover often starts when employees feel the organization violated an unwritten expectation—about growth, recognition or fairness. When this “contract” feels broken, motivation and commitment erode fast.
Your move: Make it explicit. Ask:
- “What does great performance look like at 30/60/90 days?”
- “What would make you say, ‘We should give this person more responsibility’?”
2) Motivation Quality — Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness
According to Self-Determination Theory, people thrive when they:
- Have autonomy (a sense of agency)
- Feel competent (they’re mastering something)
- Experience relatedness (they belong)
“You can build all three,” Paul Sheridan says. “Ask for feedback that grows your skills, seek context that helps you make better decisions, and invest in relationships early.”
How “Self-Firing” Usually Happens
If you want to avoid it, watch for these early warning signs:
- You defend instead of improve.
- You wait to be told—every time.
- You treat basics as optional (punctuality, follow-through, responsiveness).
- You hear feedback as personal, not professional.
- You stop being reliable.
“Managers notice reliability first,” Tom Sheridan says. “Research also links fairness perceptions—how fair and consistent managers seem—with turnover. High-accountability people don’t just expect fairness, they practice it.”
A Simple Playbook for Your First Year (or Any Year)
- Close the loop. If you said you’ll do it, confirm when it’s done.
- Translate feedback into systems. Turn advice into repeatable habits or checklists.
- Be early on the basics. Show up, communicate clearly, follow through. It compounds.
- Ask for the standard—then match it. Clarity is a performance advantage.
- Leave things better than you found them. Turn off the lights, fix the doc, flag the risk.
The Point Isn’t Blame. It’s Power.
When a leader says, “I never fired anyone—they fired themselves,” it’s not cruelty. It’s clarity.
“You have more control than you might think,” Tom Sheridan notes. “The way you approach feedback, accountability and ownership shapes your entire path.”
“You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to own your part,” Paul Sheridan adds. “Because most careers don’t end in a sudden firing. They fade quietly when someone stops acting like an owner. Don’t let that be you.”