The Day I Had to Fire Two People… And Why It Made Me a Better Leader

My First Leadership Test: When Being ‘Nice’ Wasn’t Enough

Picture this: I’m a brand new pharmacy manager, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to CHANGE THE WORLD… or at least make our little corner of it run smoother. But you know what they say about best-laid plans, right? Enter my first leadership test: two technicians who apparently missed the memo about basic workplace respect. We’re talking eye-rolls that could win Olympic medals and attitudes that could curdle milk. (Not exactly what you want in a pharmacy, am I right?) Here’s the thing – I tried being the “nice” leader first. You know the type…

“Hey team, let’s all just get along!”
“How can I help you succeed?”
“Would more training help?”

Spoiler alert: It didn’t work. Like, at all. Instead of improving, these two turned our pharmacy into what felt like a reality TV show – minus the entertainment value. The rest of our amazing team was walking on eggshells, productivity was tanking, and I was going home each day with a tension headache that no pharmacy in the world could cure. Then came my lightbulb moment (more like a lightning bolt, really). By trying to be the “nice” leader, I wasn’t being a good leader at all. I was letting two people hold our entire team hostage with their negativity. So I did it. I fired them both. Was it fun? About as fun as a root canal.
Did I lose sleep over it? You bet.

Was it the right decision? ABSOLUTELY. Here’s what happened next…The pharmacy transformed. Like, magical-fairy-godmother-wave-of-the-wand transformed. Suddenly people were smiling again. Work was getting done faster. The energy shifted from “surviving the day” to “crushing our goals.” But here’s the real tea about leadership (and why I’m sharing this with you):

• Sometimes being kind means making tough decisions
• Your team is watching how you handle difficult situations
• One or two negative people can poison an entire workplace
• The right decision rarely feels like the easy decision

Why Tough Decisions Define Great Leadership

The biggest plot twist? Those two termination conversations made me a stronger leader than all my “playing nice” ever did. Because real leadership isn’t about being liked – it’s about creating an environment where good people can do great work. So if you’re in a leadership position and facing a similar situation, remember this: protecting your team’s culture isn’t just your right – it’s your responsibility.

Sometimes that means making decisions that keep you up at night. But I promise you this… your good employees (you know, the ones who actually want to be there) will thank you for it. And to those two former employees? I honestly hope they found workplaces better suited to their… unique approach to teamwork. As for me? I learned that sometimes the hardest decisions are the ones that help us grow the most.P.S. If you’re wondering if this story has a happy ending – our pharmacy went on to have its best performance year ever. Coincidence? I think not! 😉