--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some think that it is cruel or brutal to…" description: "\"Some think that it is cruel or brutal to remove the bottom 10 percent of our people. It isn't. It's just the opposite. What I think is brutal and \"fals..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/jack-welch-1195_bigs_some-think-that-it-is-cruel-or-brutal-to_2692813.jpg" --- # Some think that it is cruel or brutal to remove the bottom… ![“Some think that it is cruel or brutal to remove the bottom 10 percent of our people. It isn't. It's just the opposite. What I think is brutal and "false kindness" is keeping people around who aren't going to grow and prosper. There's no cruelty like waiting and telling people late into their…” quote by Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/jack-welch-1195_bigs_some-think-that-it-is-cruel-or-brutal-to_2692813.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/jack-welch-1195_bigs_some-think-that-it-is-cruel-or-brutal-to_2692813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/545/jack-welch-1195_bigs_some-think-that-it-is-cruel-or-brutal-to_2692813.jpg) > “Some think that it is cruel or brutal to remove the bottom 10 percent of our people. It isn't. It's just the opposite. What I think is brutal and "false kindness" is keeping people around who aren't going to grow and prosper. There's no cruelty like waiting and telling people late into their careers that they don't belong - just when the options are limited and they're putting their children through college or paying off big mortgages.” [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Eliminating underperformers is necessary for organizational health; false kindness is retaining those who cannot improve. **In simple terms:** Removing low performers helps growth; keeping them is cruel. Key Takeaway Prioritize performance over false kindness. Themes leadership performance management organizational health Mood serious reflective Type advice leadership When to use this quote - company restructuring - career counseling - team building - financial planning Key Concepts human capital productivity ethical decision making Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance compassion with performance standards? - What support can be offered to those exiting? A Different Perspective Hard decisions can harm morale if not communicated well. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) [Brutal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutal/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [False Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-kindness-2671921/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Mortgage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortgage/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Remove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remove/) [Think Brutal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-brutal-425649/) [Think Cruel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-cruel-1664631/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [I think brutal honesty is extremely important. Don't be afraid of being up-front about your feelings and your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minka-kelly/i-think-brutal-honesty-is-extremely-important-don-t-be-afraid-of/) [Minka Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minka-kelly/) > [I'm honest and fair, but I don't dispense false kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-easterbrook/i-m-honest-and-fair-but-i-don-t-dispense-false-kindness/) [Steve Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-easterbrook/) > [Why does everyone think that I am a cruel and insensitive man? I mean, come on, I have kids... on my desk in little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/why-does-everyone-think-that-i-am-a-cruel-and-insensitive-man-i-mean/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I'll do humor about myself, I'll poke fun and everything, but that's me and I can do it to me. I think it's cruel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delta-burke/i-ll-do-humor-about-myself-i-ll-poke-fun-and-everything-but-that-s-me/) [Delta Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delta-burke/) > [“Someone walking past might think that he was being cruel, making fun of his young son. They would be missing the mark. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ferraiolo/someone-walking-past-might-think-that-he-was-being-cruel-making-fun/) [Jack Ferraiolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ferraiolo/) > [I don't think anything's cruel - if you're so sensitive these days that you see cruelty everywhere, unfortunately every time a comedian comes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hodgson/i-don-t-think-anything-s-cruel-if-you-re-so-sensitive-these-days-that/) [Roy Hodgson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-hodgson/) > [Before The World Was Made If I make the lashes dark and the eyes more bright and the lips more scarlet, or ask if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-the-world-was-made-if-i-make-the-lashes-dark-and-the-eyes-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's very easy to look at the world and think this is all so cruel and so mean. 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There are definitely better ways to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-believe-in-tough-love-but-i-don-t-think-i-can-ever-be-cruel-to/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [“Then you must no longer think cruel thought. Cruel thoughts lead to cruel words, and hurt you as much as they hurt their target.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/then-you-must-no-longer-think-cruel-thought-cruel-thoughts-lead-to/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Everyone is afraid of you and when folk are afraid of a person it usually means the person is cruel in some way, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/everyone-is-afraid-of-you-and-when-folk-are-afraid-of-a-person-it/) [Catherynne M. 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Your needs may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/so-every-time-you-think-about-your-work-life-balance-issue-remember/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [Wright is a visionary with a great strategic mind, and he's a strong business leader with outstanding people skills, ... He's a terrific guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/wright-is-a-visionary-with-a-great-strategic-mind-and-he-s-a-strong/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [In order to lead a country or a company, you've got to get everybody on the same page and you've got to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/in-order-to-lead-a-country-or-a-company-you-ve-got-to-get-everybody/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [Real communication is an attitude, an environment. It is the most interactive of all processes. 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