Who Needs to Be Fired?

I thought of an important question today.

I am sadly aware of companies and churches faced with the difficult task of letting go workers in an attempt to improve the bottom-line. I understand the struggle firsthand, having once tried to hold a company together while expenses outweighed income. Sometimes leadership requires the leader to make hard decisions for the good of the entire organization.

So here’s my question for all leaders:

Would you be willing to fire yourself if you are the person who needs to go the most?

That’s a tough question, but it is one I have actually faced that a few times in my life. Once in business where I knew, I didn’t have the energy or the expertise to carry the company to the next level. In my last two churches, I reached a point where knew it was time for another pastor if the church wanted to continue to grow. In both instances I was used to help the church grow and God was continuing to show us success, but I knew in my heart I had grown stale, burned out, and I knew the church deserved more commitment than I was giving them.

In the business decision, I waited too long to fire myself and it ended up hurting the company. Thankfully, I resigned from both churches in plenty of time for them to find the right replacement.

In light of where you are personally and where the organization you lead is at, are you the right person to be leading the team at this time? If the answer is no, what are you going to do about it? Should the organization and others suffer while you wait to make the right decision?

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[...] Who Needs to Be Fired? - Ron Edmondson - Graced Again [...]

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Jesse Phillips · 840 weeks ago

WOW! that's a rough question. Awesome question! great question!

Especially for the Church, that's Kingdom mindedness like I've never seen. Thank you Ron!!!

Brad Ruggles · 840 weeks ago

Wow, that's a tough question! Excellent post.

I think it's those kind of tough questions that we need to be asking ourselves as leaders all the time. We need to constantly be looking at where the bottlenecks are and fix them - even if that means WE are the bottle neck.

Brian Ayers · 840 weeks ago

WOW! Heavy question. Great one to be asking at a time like this.

adam herod · 840 weeks ago

Great question sir. Been there a time or two and have some friends who are there now. Difficult decision, but ultimately doing what's best for others sounds a lot like Jesus.

Thanks for the challenge.

Weston Williams · 840 weeks ago

I think every pastor should ask this question at least once a year. We need to have the self-awareness to accurately assess our role and the self-denial to be willing to do the right thing. Thanks for this encouragement.

Dr. James Dobson’s Resignation an Example for Leaders - Ron Edmondson - Graced Again

[...] Today I need to compliment Dr. Dobson for his example to all of us to do what he feels is right for the ministry at this stage in its life. Many times leaders, especially founders, hang on too long to the reins of power and the succession of leadership becomes much more difficult. I have had similar questions about leadership and when it’s time to leave in this post. [...]

I Almost Fired My Wife One Time - Ron Edmondson - Graced Again

[...] This difficult period of time began to affect our relationship. Working together everyday, we couldn’t talk about our work when we got home and so our communication was hindered greatly. Besides the personal strain though, as the one responsible for leading the business, I often hesitated asking her to do something at work or to assume a new role, because I knew the stress she was under already. Frankly we both avoided discussing the stress of the business, even at work. She jokingly accused me of running past her office. She and I both became scarcer around the office and would readily admit we were not giving the job our normal work ethic. (I wasn’t either most of the time and towards the end of our ownership I was the one who needed firing. I wrote about the need to fire myself HERE.) [...]

What Is Your Leadership Capacity? - Ron Edmondson

[...] Delegate – Ask yourself what responsibility you could give away or what areas others on your team would be better able to handle. If you are the only team member, seek volunteers to help you bridge the gaps between your leadership ability and the demands of the organization. Quit if needed – If you value the organization’s vision enough then be willing to step aside if you are no longer a good fit to lead it. This is not a sign of failure or an indication that you are a bad leader. Sometimes the organization simply grows in another direction from our passion, skills or strengths as a leader. (I wrote a similar post about this subject HERE.) [...]

I Almost Fired My Wife One Time – Ron Edmondson

[…] This difficult period of time began to affect our relationship. Working together everyday, we couldn’t talk about our work when we got home and so our communication was hindered greatly. Besides the personal strain though, as the one responsible for leading the business, I often hesitated asking her to do something at work or to assume a new role, because I knew the stress she was under already. Frankly we both avoided discussing the stress of the business, even at work. She jokingly accused me of running past her office. She and I both became scarcer around the office and would readily admit we were not giving the job our normal work ethic. (I wasn’t either most of the time and towards the end of our ownership I was the one who needed firing. I wrote about the need to fire myself HERE.) […]