#leadershiptruth – Sometimes, your direct reports are jerks.

Have you ever had the experience where, no matter how much feedback you give, no matter how much you adapt your leadership style, no matter how firm, friendly or fair you try to be, some direct reports continuously break the rules and are difficult to work with? I’ve learned that strong leadership is about knowing when it’s time to let someone go. When I find myself working harder than my direct report to make the work situation better, I’ve realized that maybe this just isn’t the spot for them. They’re probably not intentionally being a jerk, but something about the fit just isn’t working … for either of us. I now try to have those ‘career conversations’ earlier so that we can both get on with our lives. #leadershiptruth