Why I Fire Executives Fast

April 23, 2026

I’ve made every hiring mistake. The one I no longer make: keeping an executive who isn’t working.

The math most CEOs avoid

A wrong executive hire costs more than their salary. They make bad decisions that cascade. They hire people in their own image. They lose your best people. A bad VP of Sales can destroy 18 months of growth before you see it in the numbers.

What I do now

I decide in 90 days whether a new executive is going to work. Not six months. Not a year. 90 days. If the early signals are red — they can’t build rhythm, they can’t pick the right metrics, they don’t earn the team’s trust — those signals don’t improve. They get worse.

The hard truth

Every executive I’ve let go after 90 days, I’d known was wrong by day 45. I kept them because of sunk cost, optimism, or the discomfort of starting over. Every one of those was a more expensive mistake than the quick exit would have been.

What this means for your team

If you’re sitting on an executive you’re unsure about, your team already knows. Your customers probably know. You’re the last to act on what everyone else can see. Move faster than feels comfortable. You’ll thank yourself in a quarter.

Ready for a direct conversation about your business?

Bill Canady takes a limited number of strategy coaching calls each month with middle market CEOs, founders, and owners who want a direct read on where their company stands and what to do next. No pitch. No fluff. One honest conversation about growth, profitability, and exit readiness. Book your strategy coaching call at billcanady.com.

About the Author

Bill Canady

Bill Canady is a national best-selling author, Founder & CEO of The 80/20 Institute, and a global business leader known for transforming companies into high-performing, profitable enterprises. Over the course of his career, Bill has led multibillion-dollar organizations through their most critical challenges—navigating complex regulatory, investor, and media environments—while consistently delivering profitable growth.

Drawing on decades of executive experience, Bill created the Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS), a proven framework designed to help leaders cut complexity, focus on the critical few, and accelerate growth. Through The 80/20 Institute, he and his team partner with CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs worldwide to apply the 80/20 methodology in real-world settings, unlocking revenue growth, margin expansion, and shareholder value.

As both an operator and advisor, Bill’s mission is clear: to give leaders the tools, systems, and confidence they need to achieve sustainable, profitable growth — without sacrificing focus, culture, or execution.

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