My head of business development brings in forty percent of our revenue, but they consistently violate our core values by treating our delivery team like second-class citizens. The rest of the leadership team is demanding I fire them, but I am terrified of the immediate revenue hit. How do I handle a toxic high-performer who fails the core values test?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Keeping a toxic high-performer is a short-term financial decision that guarantees long-term cultural bankruptcy. When you allow your head of business development to abuse the delivery team because they bring in revenue, you are sending a clear message to your entire company: our core values are a lie and money is the only thing that matters. This destroys trust at the leadership table.

You must use the People Analyzer™ tool to address this immediately. Rate this leader against your core values. If they consistently get minus or plus-minus ratings on key values, they do not belong in your company. No amount of revenue justifies destroying the morale of your operations team.

Have a direct, documented conversation with them. Show them the People Analyzer™ results and explain exactly where they are failing. Give them thirty days to correct their behavior, with the clear understanding that their performance metrics do not exempt them from your culture.

If they do not change, you must fire them. While you may take a temporary revenue hit, you will find that your delivery team's productivity rises, your leadership team aligns, and you build a healthier, more sustainable culture. A clean exit is impossible when your operations are built on a toxic foundation that a prospective buyer will easily spot during due diligence.