--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The longer you wait to fire someone the…" description: "\"“The longer you wait to fire someone the longer it has been since you should have fired them”\" — Ashlee Vance" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the_1790641.jpg" --- # The longer you wait to fire someone the longer it has been… ![“The longer you wait to fire someone the longer it has been since you should have fired them” quote by Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the_1790641.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the_1790641.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the_1790641.jpg) > ““The longer you wait to fire someone the longer it has been since you should have fired them”” [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Delaying difficult decisions prolongs problems and harms the organization. **In simple terms:** Delay worsens issues. Key Takeaway Act promptly on tough choices. Themes leadership decision‑making accountability Mood cautious determined Type advice business When to use this quote - management - HR - team dynamics Key Concepts timeliness organizational health Questions to Reflect On - What prevents you from acting quickly? - How can you balance speed with fairness? A Different Perspective Bold actions can cause conflict or backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fired/) [Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer/) [Longer Fired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer-fired-1942324/) [Longer Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer-wait-330895/) [Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wait/) [Wait Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wait-longer-627099/) ## Related quotes > [In life...the longer you wait for someone, the longer it takes for them to respond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-life-the-longer-you-wait-for-someone-the-longer-it-takes-for-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We usually learn to wait only when we have no longer anything to wait for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/we-usually-learn-to-wait-only-when-we-have-no-longer-anything-to-wait/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [If I'm not back in five minutes ... just wait longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/if-i-m-not-back-in-five-minutes-just-wait-longer/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you love someone, tell them. The longer you wait, the more time you give them to find someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas-2/if-you-love-someone-tell-them-the-longer-you-wait-the-more-time-you/) [Ryaj Ablando-Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas-2/) > [Move faster can't wait any longer, gotta do something before she gets away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jls/move-faster-can-t-wait-any-longer-gotta-do-something-before-she-gets/) [JLS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jls/) > [Paula Abdul's really impatient to start a family. She says if she has to wait much longer she's going to go crazy-er.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/paula-abdul-s-really-impatient-to-start-a-family-she-says-if-she-has/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [Goodnight searchquotes users my bed is calling my name and I cant make it wait any longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-crosby/goodnight-searchquotes-users-my-bed-is-calling-my-name-and-i-cant/) [Cassandra Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-crosby/) > [Why wait any longer for the one you love When he’s standing in front of you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/why-wait-any-longer-for-the-one-you-love-when-he-s-standing-in-front/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [You can have your cake and eat it too. Why wait any longer for the one you love, when hes standing in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-can-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too-why-wait-any-longer-for-the-one/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I can wait for you longer. Because you have arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/i-can-wait-for-you-longer-because-you-have-arrived/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [I will die if I lose you, but I will die if I wait longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/i-will-die-if-i-lose-you-but-i-will-die-if-i-wait-longer/) [Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/) > [If I'm not back in 5 minutes, just wait longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/if-i-m-not-back-in-5-minutes-just-wait-longer/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [A wine is ready when you can't bear to wait for it any longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-macneil/a-wine-is-ready-when-you-can-t-bear-to-wait-for-it-any-longer/) [Karen MacNeil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-macneil/) > [“Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/now-is-the-time-to-get-serious-about-living-your-ideals-how-long-can/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Your greatest self has been waiting your whole life; dont make it wait any longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/your-greatest-self-has-been-waiting-your-whole-life-dont-make-it-wait/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) ## More by Ashlee Vance > [“Thought Leadership “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” Book by Ashlee Vance “Take risks now and do something bold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/thought-leadership-elon-musk-tesla-spacex-and-the-quest-for-a/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“He points out that one of the really tough things is figuring out what questions to ask,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/he-points-out-that-one-of-the-really-tough-things-is-figuring-out/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Musk sits somewhere on the autism spectrum and that he has trouble considering other people’s emotions and caring about their well-being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/musk-sits-somewhere-on-the-autism-spectrum-and-that-he-has-trouble/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“He’s less a CEO chasing riches than a general marshaling troops to secure victory. Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/he-s-less-a-ceo-chasing-riches-than-a-general-marshaling-troops-to/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“sometimes at the Sheraton hotel in Palo Alto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/sometimes-at-the-sheraton-hotel-in-palo-alto/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Throughout these early years, the engineers credited Eberhard with making quick, crisp decisions. Rarely did Tesla get hung up overanalyzing a situation. The company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/throughout-these-early-years-the-engineers-credited-eberhard-with/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“When Musk is present, the chats tend toward the absurd and fantastic”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/when-musk-is-present-the-chats-tend-toward-the-absurd-and-fantastic/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Whereas if they change a rule and something good happens, they don’t even get a reward. So, it’s very asymmetric. It’s then very easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/whereas-if-they-change-a-rule-and-something-good-happens-they-don-t/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“I might have fixed that thing but now I’ve made the person unproductive. It just wasn’t a good way to go about things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/i-might-have-fixed-that-thing-but-now-i-ve-made-the-person/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Like Steve Jobs before him, Musk is able to think up things that consumers did not even know they wanted—the door handles, the giant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/like-steve-jobs-before-him-musk-is-able-to-think-up-things-that/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Musk pulled Justine close while they danced, and informed her, “I am the alpha in this relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/musk-pulled-justine-close-while-they-danced-and-informed-her-i-am-the/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“for Musk, the distinction between stumbling into something and having intent is important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/for-musk-the-distinction-between-stumbling-into-something-and-having/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Well, we will decide we’re going into production and then a miracle is going to happen,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/well-we-will-decide-we-re-going-into-production-and-then-a-miracle-is/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“You don’t tell Elon you can’t do something. That will get you kicked out of the room”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/you-don-t-tell-elon-you-can-t-do-something-that-will-get-you-kicked/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Founded in June 2002, Space Exploration Technologies came to life in humble settings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/founded-in-june-2002-space-exploration-technologies-came-to-life-in/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) [Explore all 91 Ashlee Vance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) ## More Fired quotes > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [“It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-no-accident-that-in-a-bureaucracy-getting-fired-is-called/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [In my real life, hard work, doing my job, working well with others and finding solutions without drama has never gotten me fired before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/in-my-real-life-hard-work-doing-my-job-working-well-with-others-and/) [Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/) > [Basically, Pizza Hut just backed out on the ad agency at the last minute. They got fired and we got fired. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-ween/basically-pizza-hut-just-backed-out-on-the-ad-agency-at-the-last/) [Gene Ween](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-ween/) > [They'll totally hire me if I say I got fired from my job on the Hill because of a sex scandal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-cutler/they-ll-totally-hire-me-if-i-say-i-got-fired-from-my-job-on-the-hill/) [Jessica Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-cutler/) > [“If you get fired from your job, that’s outside your control, so you shouldn’t be personally invested in your job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/if-you-get-fired-from-your-job-that-s-outside-your-control-so-you/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [When I got fired, I had a feeling of loss because Viacom had been a passionate long-term relationship. But I got my balance back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-freston/when-i-got-fired-i-had-a-feeling-of-loss-because-viacom-had-been-a/) [Tom Freston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-freston/) > [I have to thank the guy who fired me because he was also the guy who hired me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-savard/i-have-to-thank-the-guy-who-fired-me-because-he-was-also-the-guy-who/) [Serge Savard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-savard/) > [We've all had someone break our hearts or have been fired from a job or have been cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/we-ve-all-had-someone-break-our-hearts-or-have-been-fired-from-a-job/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [My life is my business and you're fired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/my-life-is-my-business-and-you-re-fired/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [When I fire, I just look at them and I say, 'You're fired.' I don't prolong it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-harrison/when-i-fire-i-just-look-at-them-and-i-say-you-re-fired-i-don-t/) [Corey Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-harrison/) > [Michael Vick on Andy Reid being fired: 'It's a dog eat dog world out there.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/michael-vick-on-andy-reid-being-fired-it-s-a-dog-eat-dog-world-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you've got to get fired, it's really fabulous to get fired with a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorja-fox/if-you-ve-got-to-get-fired-it-s-really-fabulous-to-get-fired-with-a/) [Jorja Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorja-fox/) > [“Shortly before I was fired, the company at the Desoto Solar Farm emailed me the legally required OSHA signs to install in my office.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/shortly-before-i-was-fired-the-company-at-the-desoto-solar-farm/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [There has never been a master plan. Anyone who wanted to do it, we fired because it takes on a life of its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/there-has-never-been-a-master-plan-anyone-who-wanted-to-do-it-we/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 514 Fired quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fired/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The longer you wait to fire someone the longer it has been since you should have fired them”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ashlee Vance" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the-longer-it-has-been-since-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fired" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the-longer-it-has-been-since-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the_1790641.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the_1790641.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the_1790641.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The longer you wait to fire someone the longer it has been since you should have fired them” — Ashlee Vance", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ashlee Vance", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The longer you wait to fire...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the-longer-it-has-been-since-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/the-longer-you-wait-to-fire-someone-the-longer-it-has-been-since-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```