The 60-Second Decision That Saved a Business

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If you’ve never made a decision that made your business partner fall out of their chair, are you even leading?

That’s exactly what happened to “Gordon” (name changed to protect the gutsy), a seasoned entrepreneur who built — and sold — two companies over a 30-year run. During our conversation on the People First Leaders podcast, he casually dropped a story that would make most leaders clutch their org chart like a security blanket.

One Friday in October 2019, Gordon sat down with his co-founder and said, “We’ve got 80 people today. On Monday, we’ll have 29.”

Cue silence. Then shock. Then the slow, dawning horror of realizing he was serious.

What followed was a lesson in decisive leadership that turned a bloated, underperforming business into a lean, aligned, and wildly profitable machine.

So how did he do it — and more importantly, why?

Let’s break it down.

The Myth of Growth = Headcount

Let’s start with the sacred cow most companies refuse to question: the idea that more people = more success.

Gordon had 80 employees. The company had grown over time through acquisitions, expansion, and the kind of gradual bloat that happens when no one’s really keeping score.

But performance? Sluggish. Morale? Meh. Clarity? Nonexistent.

So Gordon did what few leaders have the stomach to do — he ran the math and the mission, and realized most of the team was no longer aligned with either.

“We were struggling in that market. I realized we were doing a lot of things we shouldn’t be doing, with people who were probably better suited somewhere else.”

Rather than delay the inevitable, he made the call.

How to Shrink Without Sinking

To be clear, this wasn’t a heartless Friday bloodbath.

Gordon orchestrated a plan that was bold and humane.

• A large group of employees was transferred to a company that could actually use their talents.
• Another subset was sold to a competitor who valued their skillset.
• A final group was let go — with intention and dignity.

By Monday morning, the 80-person org chart was down to 29. And the chaos?

Gone.

What happened next shocked even Gordon.

“We had our most profitable banner year ever. With 29 people.”

Leadership Is a Contact Sport

This wasn’t luck. It was the result of something few leaders talk about:

Decisiveness.

In tough times, your team isn’t looking for someone to host a town hall and crowdsource a solution. They’re looking for someone who can look at the hard truth, absorb the emotional blast radius, and make the call.

“Your job as a leader,” Gordon said,
“is to make decisions — especially in adversity. That’s the work.”

We often confuse leadership with activity. The endless meetings. The late nights. The spreadsheets with too many tabs.

But real leadership is clarity. And clarity looks a lot like a calm voice in the middle of a storm saying, “We’re going that way.”

Why Bold Decisions Feel Like Failure (Until They Don’t)

Here’s the part most people miss: when you make a dramatic decision — especially one that involves people — it feels wrong. You question yourself. You think maybe you’ve lost the plot. Maybe you should have “waited just a little longer.”

Gordon admits he second-guessed the timing of his exit, too.

“Halfway through 2022 I thought, maybe I sold the business too early.
Then in 2023, when everything slowed down, I realized — I timed it perfectly.”

This is the emotional tax of leadership: the gap between the decision and the validation. That gray zone where doubt lives rent-free and imposter syndrome brings snacks.

But here’s the truth: the longer you wait to act, the more damage you absorb.

The Cost of Indecision

Most founders don’t get sunk by bad decisions. They get sunk by no decisions.

You delay restructuring because it feels mean. You hang on to underperformers because you “believe in their potential.” You carry dead weight because you’re emotionally exhausted and just want to be liked.

And before you know it, you’re not leading a company — you’re babysitting a slow-motion implosion.

“When someone asks me what to do about a problem staff member,” Gordon told me,
“I always say: have you thought about letting them go? If the answer is yes, then you’re already late.”

It’s brutal. It’s honest. And it’s almost always true.

Final Thought: Decision-Making Is the Job

As founders and executives, we love to keep our calendars full. It makes us feel useful.

But Gordon reminded me of something I’ll never forget:

“Sometimes I think, I should be doing more work. But then I remember —
I made three big decisions today. That is the work.”

Leadership isn’t about being busy. It’s about being brave.

So if you’re staring down a tough call right now — if something inside you is whispering, “This isn’t working” — listen.

Because the chair someone falls out of today… might just be the chair they thank you from tomorrow.

This story is based on my podcast interviews. If it resonated with you, please clap and comment.

As with most intellectually curious authors, I am in a constant battle against clickbait articles. Your help is a way of saying “I want to read meaningful writing.”

I also host a podcast called ‘People First Leaders’ through Substack.

My articles here are based on my interviews with podcast guests, and I would truly value your contributing to the conversation on both platforms.

This post was edited with assistance from AI, based on a guest interview from the People First Leaders Podcast