Leadership at the Crossroads: “Should I Fire Them?” or “Should I Lead Better?”

As someone who has walked the path of both a team member and a team leader, I often encounter one of the most ignored but pivotal questions that can decide the fate of any organization or community leadership:

“Should I fire him/her?”

This question doesn’t show up in meetings or presentations—but it echoes constantly in the minds of many leaders managing people under them. It doesn’t stem from major ethical violations or drastic failures. Rather, it grows from small everyday triggers:

A team member showing signs of burnout or disinterest
A colleague not aligning with your working style or plans
A community volunteer who once thrived now becomes passive
A once-excited teammate becomes “lazy” after hitting a saturation point

And the situation becomes even more confusing when no major fault is visible—but performance clearly isn't the same.

As someone who's been in these shoes, I’ve learned this truth:

A real leader is not one who finds escape in firing, but one who finds solutions in building back.

The Real Problem: It’s Not Laziness—It’s Leadership Blindness

Too often, firing becomes the default because it's easy. It saves time. But at what cost? The cost of culture, trust, time to rehire, loss of institutional knowledge, and often—guilt.

That’s where I remembered the teachings of Chānakya, the ancient Indian strategist, whose wisdom in Corporate Chanakya by Dr. Radhakrishna Pillai feels more relevant than ever.

One of the core teachings that stood out for me was this:

“A good leader is one who does not punish first, but tries to reform first.”

Firing should not be a knee-jerk response to temporary misalignment. Because just like hiring is done through careful evaluation of skill, culture fit, and vision—firing must also pass through equal layers of introspection.

A Page from Corporate Chanakya: 3 Pillars of Smart Leadership in Crisis

Dr. Pillai breaks down Chānakya’s style of handling such complex team challenges into three powerful strategies that every leader should adopt:

1. Saam (Counseling & Communication)

The Principle:

Before you correct, connect.

Instead of forming judgments based on appearances, talk to the team member. Understand their “why.” Is it boredom? Is it a lack of recognition? Is it a mismatch of role vs. skill?

Corporate Example:

In a media startup, one of the top designers began missing deadlines. The founder, instead of replacing her, sat down and listened. Turns out, the designer was struggling with repetitive, non-creative work. The solution? Let her lead brand campaigns instead of daily banners. Productivity tripled.

2. Daan (Empowerment)

The Principle:

Give before you take.

Sometimes, a person slacks not because they’re careless—but because they feel powerless. Empower them with responsibility, autonomy, or even a challenge that breaks monotony.

Corporate Example:

An HR executive at a fintech company was disinterested for months. The manager gave her ownership of planning the company’s annual offsite—something she was passionate about. The result? A successful event and a fully recharged team member who rediscovered her value.

3. Bhed (Realignment through Understanding Differences)

The Principle:

Study the person’s strengths, weaknesses, and differences. Align, don’t force-fit.

Every individual doesn’t think like you—and that’s the beauty of teams. A leader must figure out how someone works best, not just enforce how they want it done.

Corporate Example:

In a product team, a brilliant coder wasn’t syncing with the aggressive timelines of a project manager. Instead of letting him go, the manager adjusted his role to backend systems with longer delivery windows. He outperformed, because the real problem wasn’t skill—it was pace mismatch.

The Last Resort: Dand (Consequences)

And yes—Chānakya never said to ignore discipline. When the first three fail, dand (correction) comes into play. But even then, it’s structured, objective, and value-based. Not emotional.

“One who is not afraid of consequences will never respect authority.” – Corporate Chanakya

The key is to build systems—Performance Improvement Plans, weekly reflections, mentorship programs—before you press the termination button.

Final Thought: Fire with Reason, Lead with Vision

It’s easy to let go. But leadership is tested when you choose to transform, not terminate. The goal is not just to build a successful team, but a resilient culture—one where people evolve, bounce back, and feel seen.

“Just like a good gardener prunes but does not destroy, a good leader corrects but does not discard.”
– Chānakya, interpreted through modern leadership

So the next time you find yourself asking, “Should I fire him/her?”—pause. Ask instead:

“Have I done everything in my power to help them rise again?”

Because leadership isn’t about directing people. It’s about developing them.

Let’s build communities and organizations where firing is not the first option—but the final, carefully chosen step—after every attempt to rebuild, realign, and revive.

Explore the community : https://chat.whatsapp.com/KrqmD55HXWtDNSFRXzZPfq?mode=ac_c

Written by: Rahul Pandey

Leadership | Culture Builder | Community Mentor

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