E20 5 Ways to Escape Corporate Stockholm Syndrome (Without Quitting Your Job)

2025-10-30

Feel stuck defending a role that drains you because “the benefits are good”? This episode tackles corporate Stockholm syndrome, not the clinical diagnosis, but the mindset where fear and comfort have us protecting the very systems that keep us small. We unpack F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real), share current career trends (shorter tenures, cooled quits), and give you five practical ways to rebuild momentum without torching your paycheck: call fear by name, try micro-shifts before macro moves, redefine loyalty, build portable sta...

Feel stuck defending a role that drains you because “the benefits are good”? This episode tackles corporate Stockholm syndrome, not the clinical diagnosis, but the mindset where fear and comfort have us protecting the very systems that keep us small. We unpack F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real), share current career trends (shorter tenures, cooled quits), and give you five practical ways to rebuild momentum without torching your paycheck: call fear by name, try micro-shifts before macro moves, redefine loyalty, build portable stability, and measure what really matters at the end of a career and a life.

Episode highlights

The gut-check: 3 questions that reveal quiet loyalty to the wrong things
FEAR → make it show its math (stop treating guesses as facts)
Five ways out (no quitting required): stretch assignments, job crafting, shadowing, skills-for-service volunteering, and decision memos that return time
Portable stability: skills, references, and runway so you can choose from strength
Why tenure is shorter, quits cooled, and what that means for brave but sane career moves
“Picture this” moments: saying yes to a stretch (with guardrails), turning a status meeting into a memo, and designing your next chapter on purpose

One line to take with you
“You don’t have to quit to be brave, just stop defending what’s dimming you.”

Work with Lynsey
Ready to turn these into habits? I offer 1:1 coaching for women leaders and business coaching for founders and executive teams. Practical, momentum-focused, and tailored to you. Start here: LynseyMulder.com.

Connect with Lynsey:

Website: LynseyMulder.com
Facebook: @LynseySMulder
LinkedIn: @Lynsey-Mulder
Instagram: @LynseyMulder

Episode Citations:

Median employee tenure (Jan 2024) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: overall 3.9 years; private 3.5, public 6.2. Bureau of Labor Statistics+1
Employee engagement (2024/2025) Gallup: U.S. engagement ~31% in 2024 (10-year low). com
Quits rate (2025) BLS JOLTS: quits ~1.9%, little changed in August. Bureau of Labor Statistics
End-of-life regrets Bronnie Ware’s “Top five regrets of the dying.” Bronnie Ware+1

Comments (3)