US CEO Sacks Top Performer Because "Fire Was Gone", Sparks Debate Online

A CEO of a California-based startup has ignited a discussion online after admitting that he fired a high-achieving employee solely because "their fire was gone". Taking to LinkedIn, Mina Elias, founder and CEO of Trivium Group, revealed that he had let one of his most successful team members, not because they underperformed or lacked skills but because their attitude no longer aligned with the company's vision. He also explained that while the employee continued to deliver results and had a strong skillset, their impact had started to shrink. 

"I once fired a top performer. Not because they weren't good..Because their fire was gone," Mr Elias wrote. He further gave three reasons explaining his decision. "The numbers were there, but the attitude was off. The skills were strong, but the drive was fading. The impact was shrinking, and so was the ROI (return on investment)," he said, adding, "Keeping someone just because they were great once is bad leadership. Growth requires hard decisions." 

In his post, Mr Elias also asked the LinkedIn community if they would ever fire a stellar performer.

The CEO's post has sparked a heated discussion on social media. Some users sided with Mr Elias, arguing that a lack of drive could be detrimental to the entire team, even if an individual's output was commendable. Some, however, criticised the CEO's reasoning, saying that the employee's value should be assessed primarily based on their tangible contributions rather than subjective perceptions of their attitude. 

"Letting go of someone who's still performing on paper but already checked out mentally is one of the hardest calls any Founder/CEO has to makes. But I can totally relate that keeping them is way more expensive than firing them," wrote one user. 

"That's a tough call! Mina Elias Sometimes it's about the overall vibe, not just the numbers. Keeping the team motivated is crucial!" commented another. 

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However, one user wrote, "It sounds like the person lost their passion. Maybe that's on you, and you should have discussed this with that person. Instead you chose to throw them out because you couldn't be bothered to actually be a manager. If this is how you treat top-talent, how do you treat those that are not?" 

"You're not a leader more of a bully. Leaders help people grow, bullies expect top performance without knowing where it comes from. You're not ready kid," said another. 

"Maybe a good idea would be to understand why the fire is gone. Creating and maintaining an inspiring workplace keeps the fire going and would ensure continuinity and that would be great leadership. Firing people surely when the number are good creates a lot of noise and unrest in your company," commented one user.  

"You got it wrong. A bad leader fires people, a good leader inspires them," one LinkedIn user wrote.