PLN 35: The right call, made the wrong way

Time to Read: 3 mins 

A client of mine recently fired their most tenured employee.

This person was essentially their right-hand. They’d been there since day one and, to be honest, probably understood the day-to-day operations better than my client did.

For context, my client is amazing. ✨

They’re a classic visionary. Someone who can see five years down the road in vivid, beautiful color but… loses the thread on how to actually get there.

Their employee was the exact opposite. They were logical, list-driven, and the kind of task-oriented person who got things done. ✅

And for a long time, it was a great partnership. The big-picture visionary and the everyday implementer, working side-by-side.

Now, of course, there was the normal tension that exists when two people have vastly different operating styles, but the combination of their complementary strengths made the business grow.

Then, slowly, the dynamic stopped working.

Once it did, the tension moved beyond friction and morphed into a power struggle.

So, my client let the employee go.

When we hopped on our coaching call, the decision itself wasn’t really in question. My client was confident that letting the employee go was the right move, especially in the long run.

But problems surfaced because of how it happened.

You see, my client had felt the tension building for quite a while, but they allowed it to quietly hum under the surface, hoping it would dissipate on its own.

So when it finally broke, they reacted in the moment instead of deliberately leading themselves through it.

There was no real clarity on everything sitting on that employee's plate, no accounting for the open loops that needed quick resolution, and no proper off-boarding that would've let my client see the bigger picture, understand their own role in it, and protect the rest of the team from the fallout.

The result was real disruption… for both the company and their clients… but that didn’t have to be the case.

Self-leadership could’ve changed the equation.

Let me explain.

If you’ve followed me for any period of time, you’ve likely heard (read) me say: Inner Leader. Outer Impact.

That’s because how you lead yourself determines the impact you have on others.

Which means… leading yourself through a decision matters just as much as the decision itself. Because it’s often the ripple effect caused by the decision that reverberates throughout the system, no matter how small & simple or large & complex the system is.

And that's what self-leadership helps us pay attention to: the way we move through our decision-making processes.

My client's decision to fire the most tenured employee was the right call for them. But because they reacted instead of moving through that moment with intention, the business absorbed a hit it didn't need to take.

So we did a post-mortem and walked through the evolution of the tension to the day of the firing.

By reflecting on their thoughts, actions, and motivations (the three pillars of self-leadership), they were able to see the situation differently and identify areas for development and improvement.

Because… at the end of the day… it all comes back to the fact that WHO you are is HOW you lead, and HOW you lead determines EVERYTHING else that follows.

That’s the power of self-leadership.

💡 Practionable Takeaway

Think of a recent decision you made that was more reactive than intentional. It doesn't have to be as big as the one my client faced. It could be a meaningful conversation you didn't properly plan for, or maybe an email you fired off before you'd fully thought it through.

Then, explore these two questions:

"What did the reactive version of me miss in the moment?"

"What would intentionally leading myself through it, instead of just reacting to it, have actually looked like?"

You don't get a redo on the decision you already made. But you do get to notice the pattern, and that's what gives you a say in how the next one goes.

That, my friend, is self-leadership in action.

🎥 Want to Go Deeper? 

The three pillars of self-leadership, which include cognitive, behavioral, and motivational elements, are key to unlocking your leadership effectiveness.

If you want to learn more about them and take a research-backed assessment to see how you currently rank, you can get the Self-Leader’s Playbook and Assessment here.

To Your Success,

Laura 💜🧡