You go to the doctor’s. You’ve a nagging pain in your stomach. You confirm to the doctor you're conscious of it through the day and it keeps you awake at night.

"The pain is serious," he says "and the bad news is, it’s not going to get better. It’s going to get worse. You’re going to worry more, have more sleepless nights.

“We can do one of two things. We can operate. There’s no risk, but it’ll be painful. You’ll be in pain for maybe a week. After that, you’ll be fine. Better than you were before the pain started.”

“What’s the other option?”

The doctor shrugs. “Just carry on as you are. The pain will get worse and worse. It’s your choice.”

Without doubt, everyone reading this would make the same decision. “How quickly can we schedule the operation?”

And yet when the majority of people are faced with a business decision that is an exact parallel, they choose to continue with the pain.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart? It’s two in the morning.”

“Can’t sleep."

“You’re not worrying about work again are you?”

“I’m always worrying about work. That is, I’m always worrying about Brian.”

Your wife turns the light on. “Why don’t you just get rid of him?”

“I don’t know. It’s difficult. I mean…”

What you really mean, is that the decision to get rid of someone is painful. And you’re right, it is. But what’s even more painful is keeping an employee who’s not right. It affects you, it affects your whole team. Chances are, you’re not the only one awake at two in the morning.

By now I’ve seen plenty of problems brought to TAB meetings, and this is the one which causes the most anguish. Of course you don’t want to sack someone. But it comes with the territory. Leadership is a lonely place.

As another former CEO, ‘Junior’ Soprano, said: "That’s what being a boss is. You steer the ship the best way you know how. Sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes you hit the rocks.’

And sometimes – sadly – you need to leave a crew member behind. Yes, you’ll do it as gently, as tactfully and as constructively as you can because you’re a good person. But the decision has to be made. And you have to make it.