Hire, Fire, and Eliminating: The Leadership Tightrope

One of the toughest parts of leadership is building the right team. Not only does it impact achieving goals, but your decisions also shape team morale. Get it right, and you’re the office rockstar. Get it wrong, and suddenly, people are avoiding eye contact in the breakroom.

Hiring: Like Speed Dating, but with More Resumes

Hiring is exciting—it’s your chance to add something fresh to your team, something that’s currently missing. Maybe it’s a unique skill set, a fresh perspective, or someone who can finally fix the office printer without calling IT.

But here’s where many go wrong: hiring someone just like themselves. It’s easy to gravitate toward familiarity, but a great team isn’t a lineup of clones. You need a mix of drivers and passengers, thinkers and doers. Before you start sifting through resumes, assess what your current team is missing. Skills are crucial, but personality and work ethic matter just as much.

Patrick Lencioni’s The Ideal Team Player lays it out clearly: the best hires are hungry, humble, and smart. If you find all three in a candidate, congratulations—you’ve struck hiring gold. Take your time and hire right the first time. Rushed hiring leads to rushed firing, and that’s like setting up a revolving door in your office.

Firing: The Leadership Gut Check

If hiring is fun, firing is like stepping on a Lego barefoot. No one enjoys it, but sometimes it has to be done. Letting someone go is tough because, at the end of the day, they’re a person with responsibilities, bills to pay, and maybe even a really cute dog at home.

Firing should never be the first solution. Great leaders make sure they’ve provided every opportunity for growth and improvement before making that call. Those who fire quickly without coaching aren’t leading—they’re just playing musical chairs with job titles.

That said, keeping an underperformer too long is just as damaging. One weak link can drag down the whole team, leading to burnout, frustration, and passive-aggressive sighing in meetings. On the flip side, firing can create fear among the remaining team, so be ready to reassure them and reinforce stability.

Eliminating: The "It’s Not You, It’s the Position" Approach

If firing is a breakup, eliminating a role is the "let’s be friends" version. It’s never easy, but it’s often the more humane route. Companies may offer severance, placement services, or other support to ease the transition.

Sometimes, the problem isn’t the employee—it’s the role itself. If a position is no longer necessary or can be repurposed to better serve the team’s goals, making a strategic shift can be the best move. Just ensure it’s done thoughtfully and communicated well.

The Bottom Line

As a leader, your personal brand is reflected in the team you build. Choose wisely. Surround yourself with people who bring value, drive success, and challenge each other in positive ways. If you have reservations about a decision—whether hiring, firing, or eliminating—take a step back. But when it’s clear, trust your gut. Leadership isn’t always easy, but making the right choices will set you and your team up for long-term success.