Anytime you have to reduce your workforce, it is a leadership fail.
You can blame it on the competition – leadership fail is the root. You can blame it on the changing market conditions – leadership fail is the root. You can blame it on lagging sales – leadership fail is the root. You can blame it on anything and anyone – leadership fail is the reality.
Lead anything and you are going to fail, friend. Do not be afraid of failing. However, leader, learn from your fails. Learn. Do not repeat your mistakes. High performing cultures are expanding, growing, and invigorating places of commerce and community. RIF’s (Reduction in Forces) are bound to happen. Ain’t no leader worth their salt that hasn’t grown resources beyond revenues. Happens. Just don’t make it an acceptable pattern. Make sure you realize how harmful RIF’s are. Avoid them like the plague, because they are a plague on sustainable, high performance. Do not swallow the rif pill.
Anytime you have a RIF, it is a leadership fail. Learn. High bar, I know. Sucks to lead. I get it. Lead, anyway, leader. Good…