Terminations: The Hardest Part of Leadership Words: Damian LangPhotos:Tiffany Tillema, Tom VacalaThroughout my career, I’ve faced a wide variety of challenges, some technical, some interpersonal, and many that forced me to adapt quickly. These days, most of my work is behind a computer in an office, but the lessons I’ve learned apply wherever I go.Every challenge has taught me something valuable about my profession and about myself. But no matter how much experience I gain, there’s one responsibility that stands out as the most difficult for any leader.Letting someone go is never easy. It’s not a physical tool you can pick up or set aside. It’s a decision that weighs heavily on your mind and heart. No leader wants to have to do it, and it’s never something you truly get used to. Terminations are, without question, the toughest part of a leader’s job.After years in this business, hiring hundreds of people and, unfortunately, having to let some go, I’ve come to realize that my old belief that firing someone meant I’d failed as a leader, manager, or even as a person, wasn’t quite right. Whether I’m working remotely or sitting in my office, terminations never get easier. What does matter is how you handle them because that shows more about your leadership than almost anything else you do.The First Lesson: Waiting Makes It WorseOne of the biggest mistakes I made early on was waiting too long.I’d see the signs: missed deadlines, poor attitude, safety shortcuts, excuses instead of ownership. But I’d tell myself, “He’s a good guy. He’s just going through a rough patch.” Or worse, “I don’t have time to deal with this right now.” It felt easier to ignore the situation and hope performance would somehow improve. It never did.What I didn’t understand back then was that every day I delayed the decision, I wasn’t being kind; I was being unfair. Not just to the company, but to the rest of the crew who were carrying the load, and even to the person who wasn’t performing.Good people want clarity. They want to know where they stand. Silence, ambiguity, and “hoping it gets better” usually cause more damage than a hard, honest conversation ever will.Lesson Two: Termination Is A ProcessTermination should never be a surprise. If someone is genuinely shocked when they’re let go, leadership has failed somewhere along the line.A proper termination should be the final chapter in a story that’s already been written through:Clear expectationsDocumented conversationsCoaching and supportA real chance to improveClear consequences if improvement doesn’t happenWhen those steps are in place, the final conversation becomes more about closure than conflict. And here’s the hard truth: when someone has been given every opportunity and still can’t or won’t meet the standard, keeping them hurts everyone, including them.Learning The Hard WayI kept a supervisor on staff too long. He performed well at first, but over time became unpredictable and aggressive. After an incident where he threatened me violently in my office, I had to fire him immediately. When his office was cleaned out, we found a bag of white substance hidden behind a desk drawer, which explained much of his recent behavior. I would have preferred that he had sought help rather than concealing the underlying issue.In another case, keeping a supervisor too long led to serious problems with a long-term client. Job site performance issues that were not immediately obvious began stacking up. The team grew frustrated, deadlines slipped, and eventually, the client expressed concerns. Each problem that arose required others to step in and clean things up.When I finally sat down with him, he wasn’t angry. He wasn’t surprised. He was relieved. He told me, “I knew I wasn’t doing a good job anymore. I just didn’t know how to say it.” These situations changed how I look at leadership forever.The Respectful Way To TerminateOver the years, I’ve learned there is a right way to do this hard thing.Be Direct, Not Cruel: Don’t dance around it. Be honest, calm, and respectful. This isn’t a courtroom, it’s a conversation.Stick To Facts, Not Emotion: Focus on behaviors and results, not personality or character. “The expectations weren’t being met” goes a lot farther than “You’re not cut out for this.”Preserve Dignity: Terminations should always be private, professional, and respectful. How someone leaves your company will be remembered by everyone who stays.Own Your Part: If you failed to train, communicate, or support properly, say so. That honesty builds trust with the rest of your team.Leave The Door Open Where Appropriate: Not every termination needs to burn a bridge. Some people are simply better suited for a different role, a different company, or a different stage of life.I prefer to provide two or three clear reasons for my decision and stick to them. That keeps the conversation focused and productive. Ultimately, once the decision is made, it cannot be argued or negotiated.The Hard Truth About LeadershipOne of the most difficult lessons I’ve learned is this: being a good leader doesn’t mean being liked all the time.It means protecting the culture. It means standing up for the people who show up every day and do things the right way. And sometimes, it means making decisions that weigh heavily on your shoulders, decisions most people never see or fully understand.If you’re losing sleep over a termination decision, that’s usually a sign you care. But caring doesn’t mean avoiding action. Often, caring means doing the hard thing the right way.The Unexpected BenefitHere’s the part most people don’t talk about. When you handle terminations fairly, consistently, and respectfully, your best people notice. Morale improves. Accountability increases. Trust grows.Your team starts to believe that performance matters, that standards mean something, and that leadership will step in when needed. Over time, your culture gets stronger.Final ThoughtNo one wakes up wanting to fire someone. If they do, they probably shouldn’t be in leadership.But if you’re going to build something that lasts, a company, a culture, a legacy, you must be willing to make tough decisions with humility and integrity. The right people will respect you for it. The wrong people will remove themselves. And your organization will be better because of it.That’s not just business. That’s leadership.___Damian Lang is CEO of Lang Masonry Contractors, Wolf Creek Construction, Buckeye Construction and Restoration, 3 Promise Labor Services, FlexCrew, Malta Dynamics Fall Protection and Safety Company, and EZG Manufacturing. To view the products and equipment his companies created to make job sites safer and more efficient, visit his websites at ezgmfg.com or maltadynamics.com. To receive his free e-newsletters or to speak with Damian about his management systems or products, email dlang@watertownenterprises.com or call 740-749-3512.About: Business Management
