If a leader is failing to fire somebody who has consistently demonstrated a lack of character, that’s probably a sign of a character issue for the leader, as well!

Leaders in fire service, law enforcement, and business often face the challenge of managing employees who consistently fail to meet organizational standards. While many supervisors understand the need for accountability, bureaucracy, documentation requirements, and lengthy disciplinary processes can make employee termination feel overwhelming. Knowing how to fire an employee appropriately is not just a management skill—it is a leadership character test. 

Why It’s So Hard to Fire an Employee 

“It is almost impossible to fire anyone around here.” This is a refrain I hear so often from people who work in public safety.  As we’ve discussed throughout the Real Life Leadership series, supervisors regularly face situations that test their character, and this may be one of the toughest. They have an employee or even a subordinate leader who should no longer be employed, and the leader feels hamstrung by the process.  They tell me about situations when they tried to fire somebody and either executive leadership, HR, or the legal team kicked it back.  As a result, they were stuck with a bad egg and now that person had a grudge against the leader.  “Sometimes it is just not worth it.”

Unfortunately, this is not a system failure as some believe. It is a character failure for that leader.  Do not fall into this trap. The process for ending somebody’s employment may be slow and full of hoops to jump through.  But, the difficulty of a situation should not determine whether a leader does what needs to be done.  In fact, if somebody claims to be a leader but only does the easy tasks required of leaders, that person is not a Leader of Character.  Because Leaders of Character do hard things.

The Character Test Behind Employee Termination 

Courage:  Acting despite perceived or actual risk.

You need to have the Courage to have hard conversations and enforce consequences when poor behavior doesn’t change.

Humility: Believing and acting like “it’s not about me.”   

You need to exercise Humility and ask for help.  Your leaders and HR professionals can help you navigate the requirements and keep you between the lines.  Be proactive and let them know what is happening.

Integrity:  Doing what is good, right and proper, even at personal cost. 

Your Integrity is at stake if you allow someone to operate below the standards. This is similar to what happens in problem employee leadership situations, where leaders fail to address poor behavior before it escalates. 

Selflessness: Putting the needs of others before my own needs, desires or convenience.

Just because the paperwork is inconvenient isn’t a good reason not to do it.  You must put the needs of your team and the larger organization ahead of your own desires for an easier existence. Avoiding the paperwork is a selfish choice for a leader.

Duty:  Taking actions based on our assigned tasks and our moral obligations.

Your Duty – moral obligation – is to document early, document consistently, and then initiate the disciplinary process when you see a pattern of poor behavior and a lack of response to your coaching.

Positivity: Displaying a positive and/or “Can do” attitude in all circumstances.

When that bad egg finally walks out the door for the last time, there will be a collective sigh of relief – even if some people have to do more work until a replacement is found. 

Why Leaders Must Follow Through 

Yes – the process may be long and arduous.  Yes – you may not understand why each step is necessary.  Yes – there is still a possibility that the powers above you may choose to keep that person around.  But you will know you exercised the Courage, Humility, Integrity, Selflessness, Duty and Positivity that a Leader of Character needs to exercise when there is a bad egg on the team.  The ironic thing is that the person is probably getting fired for a character failure involving the same Six Habits of Character the leader needs to exercise in order to do the firing!

Leadership Lessons About Firing Employees 

Think about that, if a leader is failing to fire somebody who has consistently demonstrated a lack of character, that’s probably a sign of a character issue for the leader, as well!

Ouch!

Question:

• What is it like for everyone else when that bad egg finally leaves the building for the last time?
• Who was/is the bad egg on your team and what did you or are you doing about it?