A weekly thought for leaders with the courage to introspect.
Being fired is not personal. Even if it feels that way.
Theo has been fired.
Project manager at a road construction company. Under his leadership, the costs of a section of highway got completely out of hand. So: exit Theo. That's how it works. That's how it goes.
But Theo is furious.
He says, โIt wasn't my fault.โ
It was due to a subcontractor.
Or to the circumstances.
Or to politics.
His story is confusing. Confusing. I can't make head or tail of it.
Besides being fierce, Theo is also vengeful.
He drinks too much. He talks himself into being right. He prepares a lawsuit.
Anything to clear his name. Anything to make his version of the story prevail.
I look at it. And I know: that is the wrong way. Because Theo does not understand why he was fired.
And that is exactly the crux of every dismissal. Understanding why. Not the reason on paper. Not the formal label. But the real reason.
The real reason is always harder. Simpler. Usually financial.
Follow the money.
Theo wasn't fired because he was bad. Or because he made serious mistakes.
Theo has been sacrificed.
He was the signal. The lightning rod. The chess piece that had to be removed from the board.
Why?
To regain trust with the client.
To limit political damage.
To manage costs.
Follow the money.
That's how it works in business.
And it applies to everyone.
โ Sometimes you get fired because your character doesn't fit the board.
โ Sometimes because your working method clashes with the culture.
โ Sometimes because your function 'disappears'.
โ Sometimes because savings simply have to be made.
In any case, dismissal is never personal.
Even though it feels that way.
Every manager experiences it.
Every professional gets a turn.
I've heard storiesโฆ
Discharged from your sickbed.
Fired while on vacation.
Fired while abroad with your family.
Or like Nick, a CEO fired on a business trip. Hotel canceled. Credit card blocked. Flight home: pay for yourself.
Hard?
Yes.
But that's the reality. That's why Theo's attitude is wrong.
Holding on is poison.
Resentment is loss.
Anger prolongs the pain.
The trick is knowing when to fight.
And when you have to let go.
Dismissal is not the end.
It's a bend in the road.
And behind that bend lie jobs, opportunities, worldsโฆ
Which may suit you much better than what you left behind.
Because what if life is about something?
Then it is growth.
And growth rarely happens without change!
The space between the words is where insight arises.
Until next week when our thoughts touch again.
Hans Ruinemans
The Boardroom Monk โฏ๏ธ