It’s a harsh reality but a clear one—every employee is potentially expendable; turnover is simply part of the business ecosystem.
I felt the weight of this lesson myself not too long ago. After I wrapped up a seven-year stint with my previous client, due to endless leadership reshuffles, I found myself jaded, annoyed, and admittedly, carrying a noticeable attitude.
The final days were chaotic—people were leaving, lawsuits flying around, and cease and desist letters were the norm—it was an outright mess.
Despite our rocky parting, I felt a surprising urge to reach out to my last director for feedback. Even though we hadn't parted on the best of terms, he welcomed the conversation.
Armed with questions about my performance and our collaboration, I was prepared for the worst.
Yet, what I received was mostly unexpected praise. He highlighted my knack for execution and tangible results, noting my growth from a marketing novice to a competent content creator and data analyst, which pleasantly surprised me.
However, he did not mince words when it came to my attitude and insecurities—they had, he pointed out, overshadowed my professional achievements.
In hindsight, he was right. I had become too comfortable in waiting: waiting for change, waiting for recognition, not realizing that I was my own biggest obstacle.
I may not have been fired, but I was certainly considered for the next round of cuts.
In my current role as an Executive Assistant, I’m given a ringside view into the executive world—the strategies, the candid discussions about who’s in and who’s out, and what it takes to stay on the favorable side of the ledger.
It has entirely changed my perspective on how successful companies with high-performing leadership teams regard their employees.
If you fit any of the descriptions below, know that these teams have zero tolerance.
This applies particularly after an issue is recognized and addressed but doesn’t improve—except in cases where the offense is so blatantly wrong it results in an immediate one-strike-and-you're-out policy.
So, how do you ensure you're not next on the chopping block? Recognizing the red flags in your behavior is the first step.
Your Numbers are Low - What Leadership Observes
What I've observed during weekly leadership meetings is the C-suite diligently reviews data—ranging from weekly to quarterly metrics. They're focused on numbers, key performance indicators (KPIs), and whether departmental projections align with actual quotas.
Successful pacing results in leadership identifying and reinforcing effective strategies. Conversely, when quotas fall short, they're quick to investigate weaknesses in the pipeline.
Particularly, they take note of patterns where specific employees consistently miss their targets and leadership seeks to understand the underlying reasons. In my observation, an effective leader will touch base with you to uncover any issues.
Sometimes personal challenges may intersect with your professional performance. A supportive leadership team will make efforts to address these concerns and assist you in realigning your efforts, especially if you have a history of competent execution.
Yet, consistent underperformance will likely result in replacement. The reality is a business must ensure productivity to sustain its workforce; it's a matter of survival and making strategic decisions.
But it's not just about producing results. Longevity in a company also hinges on attitude. A "can-do" approach, optimism, and a generally positive demeanor are vital. You'll need more than just output—you need to radiate the right energy.
Attitude - It's Not Just About Output
Attitude is everything. It influences your likability and opens up opportunities to develop your potential because it makes you receptive to coaching.
If your performance is average but your attitude is positive, you are coachable. With the right guidance, you can transform from a 6 out of 10 to an 8 or 9.
It’s rare to find someone who is both a high performer and harbors a negative, cynical outlook.
If your behavior is characterized by cynicism, constantly complaining, making snarky comments, or undermining the leadership team as if you know better, you are practically asking to be fired, even if you're producing results.
Top performers and successful leaders understand that negative behaviors must be curtailed immediately. Negative attitudes can spread faster than wildfire and tarnish reputations significantly.
No one wants to interact with a person who consistently projects negativity, especially not top performers or successful business leaders, as I've observed throughout my executive assistant career.
I recall my time working in an office where I constantly reminded myself, "Don’t get involved, don’t talk negatively; you have a clean slate here." Office environments can be like bubbles or small ecosystems where negativity can thrive.
Complainers, gossipers, and toxic individuals are contagious. Even if you believe you won't participate or perhaps you're already displaying such behaviors, you'll likely end up affecting others and being affected yourself.
This often leads to terminations under the guise of “not the right fit.”
Someone may have a cynical attitude but showing signs that they are open to change and actively investing time to improve is promising.
Maybe they weren’t aware of how detrimental their behavior was, and now that they're conscious of it, they want to change.
This brings us to another critical red flag: being uncoachable.
Being Uncoachable
I’ve seen it time and again—being narrow-minded, thinking your way is the right way, not being open to change, assuming you know it all, playing the victim, and blaming external factors instead of evaluating yourself to identify where there are gaps.
You can find mentors in your workplace amongst high-performing colleagues and leaders in the leadership team who are more than willing to support you—as long as you are genuinely interested in improving.
It’s not enough to simply nod and agree; you have to truly integrate the feedback you receive, experiment with it, and adjust it to enhance your performance accordingly.
My clients constantly remind their team to speak up when they need support and to avoid remaining silent when they’re failing to meet their quotas. They make it clear that they're available to help them out of a rut, provided they openly communicate their needs.
Just remember, if you ask for help but continue to stick to your old ways and keep getting poor results, believe me when I say that high-performing leadership teams are always on the lookout to recruit.
There's always someone out there willing to step up and take your place.
Too Dependent on Instruction
I've noticed how some employees constantly seek approval from their leadership team for minor details, asking questions they could likely resolve independently or with the help of a colleague.
Relying excessively on "authority" for trivial decisions is not just a waste of your leader’s time, but it also squanders your own energy. It's a flag that suggests you may lack the capability for independent thought and feel insecure executing your role.
Take one of my C-suite clients, for example. I observe that he doesn’t respond to every single message. It’s almost as if he assesses the urgency within seconds and decides if it even warrants a response, subtly hinting, "Figure it out."
You should aim to be a self-starter, make minor executive decisions on your own, and seek feedback with specific examples during one-on-one or team meetings rather than constantly querying for guidance.
Is this behavior enough to justify termination? I would argue that it is.
When companies hire you, they have expectations based on what you've promised to deliver. Neither leadership nor your teammates can afford to babysit you because you are unable to problem-solve, inundate Slack with a flood of questions over non-urgent matters, or react with panic when you're confused.
I’m not suggesting that asking follow-up or clarifying questions will put your job at risk, but consistently demonstrating incompetence in basic tasks—tasks you were hired to perform—will likely put you on the chopping block should someone more capable come along.
A candid admission here: I've been that person too, guilty of these very things at a past job. I felt insecure and inferior to my colleagues, particularly when they discussed their areas of expertise in tech—a subject that sometimes went right over my head.
I was annoying as f*ck until someone pointed this behavior out to me.
This tendency to rely too heavily on instruction seamlessly leads us to another potential fireable offense: overcomplicating your communication.
Overcomplicating your communication: More Direct, Less Fluff
Let's get one thing clear: Overcomplicating your communication isn't a direct ticket to getting fired, but it sure can grind gears.
If your messages aren't straight to the point, you're not just wasting time—you're being a nuisance.
In my experience, predominantly working with male clients, I've noticed a stark contrast in communication styles between genders.
And here's a touchy subject—I'm not trying to bash my own gender, as I too am a woman, but sometimes, we need to cut to the chase.
This is a call to everyone, particularly to women: dial down on the overwriting. Drop the fluff. Save the backstories and emotional tangents for another time. What's needed is your point, crystal clear and bullet-pointed.
And while we're at it, let's talk about excessive politeness. There's no need to constantly pepper your messages with 'thank you’s and 'I appreciate you’s, or to weave long narratives explaining the context—if it's a novel, consider a voice note or simply wait for your next face-to-face meeting.
The overabundance of courteous chit-chat in channels like Slack? It’s an echo chamber of unnecessary noise.
Here’s the thing: men generally don't weave emotion into their professional exchanges.
They’re straightforward, concise, and logical. No frills, just the main point of the message, which is something we should all try to do more of.
Shifting gears, it's crucial to talk about something even more detrimental than overcomplicating communication—dishonesty in the workplace.
Lying - An Obvious Cause for Dismissal
Lying is an obvious cause for dismissal. It happens. Those little white lies, skipping out on some truth that might land you in hot water—more or less, it's avoiding guilt or shame for making a mistake.
These are red flags and they instill mistrust because they put your integrity up for question over minor issues. If you're willing to lie about these small things, it begs the question: how far are you willing to stretch the truth just to cover yourself?
Being transparent is honestly the best path. This doesn't mean you need to spill every detail about your personal life at the office. What I'm saying is, if you need support or you've messed up, own up to it.
I once saw a guy lie for two whole months. I mean, no one suspected a thing because he told everyone he was taking off for his wedding and needed “x” dates for the ceremony and celebrations.
But he never came back. And there was no wedding.
Through the grapevine, leadership found out he jumped ship for a competitor and was trash-talking his old job, a job he never officially quit.
He literally fabricated this whole story about needing vacation time for his wedding and went to work somewhere else as a trial period. If he tried coming back after his supposed "wedding", he would have been fired on the spot, no questions asked, because of that lie.
This situation is more than just a cause for firing. It involves your integrity and reputation taking a hit, which can follow you throughout your career.
It's committing character assassination against yourself.
Final Thoughts
Here’s what I’ve realized—it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working somewhere. There’s no such thing as “loyalty” just because you’ve been an employee for a long period of time.
You must produce results, continually seek improvement, be likable, demonstrate integrity, and be capable of working both in a team and independently.
In retrospect, I needed to improve all these elements to truly match up with high-performers. I had to learn to develop each of these points—and I could only do that through experience.
I needed to be able to make comparisons in work environments, co-workers, and evolve in my self-awareness.
Ensuring you aren't next on the chopping block means not just meeting expectations but exceeding them.
Stay sharp, stay relevant, and above all, let your growth mindset lead the way. Because when push comes to shove, you want to be the one they can’t imagine losing.
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