Are You Fireable?

Most people get uneasy when confronted with the idea of being “fireable.” But maybe we should be leaning into that discomfort and asking, Are you fireable?

I recently created a t-shirt mock-up that boldly declares, “I am firable.” This simple statement may sound provocative, but it's meant to challenge us on a deeper level. It's an invitation to reflect on whether we are holding ourselves back by clinging to old habits, roles, and skills that we have long since mastered but that no longer serve our growth. The real question isn’t whether someone else would fire you — it’s whether you would fire yourself from the things holding you back.

Major in the Majors, Not the Minors

Too often, I see people majoring in minor things. What do I mean by that? It’s simple. Many people, especially in leadership roles, spend time perfecting tasks they’ve already mastered in previous positions. The problem is that these tasks no longer make a significant difference in the trajectory of their career or business. In fact, holding on to these tasks can keep them from leaning into more challenging, strategic roles that would propel them forward.

This is especially true of managers who excelled in non-managerial roles. When you move up the ladder, the skills that made you successful in the past aren’t always the ones that will carry you to the next level. The “do-it” mentality may have worked when you were solely responsible for results, but now that you have a team, doing everything yourself becomes a weakness. It frustrates you and your team, because success at this stage isn’t about doing the work yourself — it’s about enabling others to get the job done.

What Do You Need to Fire Yourself From?

So, what do you need to fire yourself from? I recently reconnected with a client I had worked with years ago. This person has evolved tremendously since we last worked together, and now it’s time for them to fire themselves from roles they’ve held onto for far too long.

It’s not easy, I get it. There’s a level of comfort in mastering something. But holding on to those familiar tasks can trap you in a cycle of stagnation. To grow, you have to fire yourself from the old roles and responsibilities that no longer align with where you want to go. For my client, it meant empowering, training, and setting up their team for success so they could focus on higher-level responsibilities that would take their practice to an entirely new level.

Firing Yourself Equals Freedom

The reason we need to fire ourselves from these outdated roles is simple: freedom. Sticking to responsibilities that no longer serve us can feel like a prison. When you finally “fire yourself” from these tasks, you free up time, energy, and mental bandwidth to focus on what truly matters. You position yourself for growth, for the next level of success, and ultimately, for freedom.

So, what are you going to fire yourself from to create your own freedom?

It’s time to let go of the things that are keeping you stuck. Because in the end, being “fireable” is the first step to setting yourself free.