The Psychology of Ousting: How Group Loyalty, Betrayal, and Resilience Define Organizational Survival

Ousting, succession, and betrayal are the shadow companions of every close-knit group or startup, though most teams hope they’ll never encounter them. At Twitter, painful firings, boardroom coups, and leadership shakeups left almost no founder untouched. Friendships built over late-night work and shared setbacks dissolved almost overnight, replaced by mistrust and isolation. Sometimes, the person pushed out had handed the tools for his own removal to a friend just weeks earlier.

The psychology behind ousting is complex: when groups are under stress, loyalty and threat responses intensify. Research from behavioral science shows that we’re wired both for tribe-protection (which can sadly mean pushing “outsiders” away) and for power struggles when leadership is ambiguous. Those excluded often cycle between anger, self-doubt, and emotional withdrawal. But some channel loss into new opportunities, using the pain to understand themselves and others more deeply—or to fuel innovation elsewhere. Over time, the most resilient will frame betrayal as evidence of growth, not only as a wound.

While group betrayals hurt, the most skillful individuals learn to integrate the lesson without letting resentment define their future paths.

Be honest with yourself if you've been left out or sidelined—write down what happened and how it made you feel. Think carefully about whether challenging the group will help or only deepen the rift; sometimes, a wise friend's perspective is invaluable here. Use your energy, instead, to sharpen your strengths or branch out elsewhere, making use of everything this hard period taught you. If you can, forgive—even if only for your own sake. The cycle of exclusion doesn’t have to dictate your next act. Sometimes, bouncing back means finally letting go.