Hiring and Firing with Grace: How to Send People Off Better Than You Found Them
Hiring the right people is one of the most important, and most challenging skills a founder can develop. When you get it right, the energy is electric. Your team clicks, your business grows, and everything feels aligned. When you get it wrong, the consequences echo across your culture, your time, and your bottom line.
But here’s a truth few leaders talk about openly: Firing is just as important as hiring.
If you’re building a big gorgeous business, you’re not just making payroll, you’re shaping lives. Your leadership leaves a mark. And how you end a working relationship says just as much about your values as how you begin one.
Let’s talk about how to do both with purpose.
How to hire the right team
Hiring is Hard. Get Better at It.
Hiring is more than just filling a gap. It’s curating the team who will help you carry your vision forward. That means you can’t afford to hire just because someone looks good on paper. Skills can be taught. Alignment, drive, and values? That’s deeper.
Ask yourself:
Does this person want to grow with me—or are they looking for a job to hide in?
Are they curious? Hungry? Willing to figure things out when the road gets rocky?
Do I trust them with my vision, my clients, and my reputation?
Hiring well means slowing down, being intentional, and listening closely—not just to them, but to yourself. Trust your instincts, but don’t hire in a vacuum. Use a hiring rubric. Bring in a second opinion. And always be clear about what success looks like in the role.
Mentor Boldly. Develop Relentlessly.
Once they’re on your team, your job isn’t done, it’s just begun.
Developing people is not an HR checkbox; it’s a leadership superpower. When your team thrives, your business thrives. When your people feel seen, supported, and challenged—they stay. They grow. They become champions of your mission.
Ask yourself regularly:
Am I giving them meaningful feedback?
Do they know what success looks like here?
Am I stretching them—or holding them back?
Your role as a founder is not to hold all the power. It’s to build other leaders. That’s how your business becomes scalable. That’s how you create legacy.
Letting employees go respectfully
When It’s Time to Say Goodbye.
Not every hire will work out. And that’s okay. What’s not okay is ghosting, avoiding, or firing in a way that leaves someone diminished.
Your goal? Send them off better than you found them.
Even if it’s not a fit anymore, you can:
Be honest and respectful.
Acknowledge what they brought to the business.
Give feedback that helps them grow beyond this role.
Offer references or guidance if appropriate.
Letting someone go with dignity and clarity is an act of leadership. It shows your team that your values don’t disappear when things get hard. And it opens space for the right next hire to walk through the door.
Leadership in small business
Big Gorgeous Teams Start with You.
As your business scales, you’ll need to get better and braver at building teams. That means hiring with intention, mentoring with generosity, and firing with grace.
No one does this perfectly. But every time you lead from your values (even when it's hard), you grow your capacity to lead something bigger. More gorgeous. More powerful.
Because leadership isn’t about being liked. It’s about being clear, courageous, and kind.
Ready to Build a Big Gorgeous Team?
If you’re hiring (or firing) right now and struggling with the emotional or strategic weight of it: you’re not alone.
I have coached dozens of founders through this very work. If you're ready to talk about how to lead with more clarity, confidence, and grace, let’s connect.
Or dive into the book:
Big Gorgeous Goals is packed with real stories and actionable wisdom for founders who want to grow businesses—and teams—that truly reflect who they are.
