'You're Fired!' How To Avoid Those Dreaded Words

Stock market dips, threats of rising interest rates, bankrupt countries, and the approaching fall of the Chinese market are just a few of the recent economic events that are affecting business. The last economic downturn is still fresh in our minds. The one thing every wants to know is how secure is their job. To help ease that fear, I reviewed our database of more than 65,000 leaders to see what we can learn about those who’ve been let go. I found three significant factors in leaders who’ve been released from their jobs.

1. They struggled with interpersonal skills and were not a good cultural fit.

Many people wish they could just sit in their office, do their work, and be left alone. But honestly, I must tell you that “loners” are much more likely to get fired. Despite all of the ways we can communicate with others through screens, interpersonal skills still matter.

As you can see from the graph above I found that those who were derailed or “fired” scored in the 37th percentile of effectiveness for interpersonal skills. These leaders were described as technically strong but weaker than their peers in leadership, influence, and building positive relationships. Leaders with poor interpersonal skills were described as difficult to work with, hard to manage, exhibited impulsive behaviors, frequently showed anger, and often created a hostile environment.

In short, it does not matter how brilliant you are if you can’t work well others. If you are difficult to deal with, you’ll be first on the layoff list when circumstances are tight.

2. Failed to consistently deliver results.

There is a big difference between activity and results. This is not about being busy all the time. Leaders need to honestly ask themselves, “Have I consistently delivered results? Could someone else sitting in this same chair do more?”

According to the data, the leaders who were fired were ranked at the 37th percentile in their ability to drive for results.

Data revealed that these leaders frequently missed deadlines, were over committed, or set a low bar in terms of what they were willing to achieve. Over time their effectiveness decreased and they struggled with the process of taking ideas and moving them into compelling action. They were viewed as inconsistent and it appeared they didn’t work very hard. Leaders need to take a hard look at the results they deliver and not just the actions that are filling their time.

3. Leaders had no profound strengths and exhibited some fatal flaws.

If you read my articles, you likely have noted developing profound strengths has a dramatic impact of a leader’s effectiveness. In the graphs below you can see that leaders who were fired were significantly less likely to have profound strengths and more likely to have fatal flaws.

Many leaders work on creating a balanced leadership profile. The problem is that leaders with a balanced profile don’t stand out. If you don’t possess talents or abilities that set you apart from others and add significant value to the organization why would the organization keep you? The company begins to wonder “what have you done for me lately?” If you are just a good average worker, it is time to get a little bit paranoid. You are replaceable. Remember “good” is not “great.” Stand out strengths help you to become both needed and irreplaceable.

In short, there are three things you can do right now to keep yourself off of the layoff list when economic pressures occur: 1. Focus on your relationships. 2. Drive for results. 3. Build and exhibit your standout strengths. Doing these things will be your best possible insurance for keeping your name away from the dreaded list when layoffs occur.