Why He Fired Me

The Cruelest Man in the Office

I used to work for a boss named Mr. Razak. I swear I never met a human as cold as him. He never smiled. He never asked how I was doing.

Every day I walked into the office I felt like I was entering a war zone. Mr. Razak was extremely detailed. If I submitted a report he would check every single word. If there was a small mistake he would throw the file on the table.

I can still hear the sound of that file hitting the desk today.

My office friends were all scared of him. We always discussed workplace problems during lunch hour. The main topic was always Mr. Razak. We felt he just wanted to find faults. We felt he hated seeing people happy.

I stayed because I needed money. I thought it was okay. As long as the salary came in I would just be patient. I thought if I was patient one day he would appreciate me.

Turns out I was wrong.

The Black Tuesday

One Tuesday my mood was good. I had just finished a huge project. I felt very proud. I was sure this time Mr. Razak would not find any mistakes.

At 10 AM my intercom buzzed.

"Come into my room. Now."

His voice sounded like thunder. I swallowed hard. I grabbed my notebook and walked into his room.

Mr. Razak sat leaning back in his chair. His face was tense. He did not invite me to sit. He stared at me for a long time.

"Pack your things now," Mr. Razak said.

I was confused.

"What do you mean Sir? Am I moving desks?"

He shook his head.

"No. You are fired. I do not want to see your face in this office after lunch hour."

My heart felt like it stopped beating.

"Sir why? The project yesterday was done. What did I do wrong?"

My voice started shaking.

Mr. Razak did not answer. He just turned his chair to face the window.

"You are not good enough. Get out."

That was it.

I felt like I was slapped. I walked out of that room with tears falling. I packed my box while other friends watched. They were all sympathetic. They said this was the most unfair of all workplace problems that ever happened.

I went home and sat on the edge of my bed. I felt my life was destroyed. I felt useless.

Unemployed and Stressed

For a week I sat at home doing nothing. I was angry. I held a grudge. I cursed Mr. Razak in my heart.

I opened my laptop to find a job. But at that time the economy was bad. It was hard to find new career opportunities. Most companies wanted to cut costs.

I sent resumes everywhere but there was no sound. My self confidence was getting thin.

Suddenly I received a call from a giant multinational company. This was the dream company for everyone. First Pinnacle Group. The salary there was three times my old salary.

They called me for an interview.

I was weirded out. I never sent a resume to First Pinnacle Group. Maybe I accidentally pressed the apply button when I was sleepy.

The Strange Interview

On the interview day I wore my best shirt. I was shaking. The First Pinnacle Group building was huge. I felt small walking into the lobby.

My interviewer was Mr. Johan. He looked relaxed and kind. He looked at my file.

"Do you know why you are here?" Mr. Johan asked.

I was just honest.

"I actually do not remember when I applied for this job Sir. But I am grateful to be called."

Mr. Johan laughed a little. He opened a brown envelope on the table.

"You did not apply. Someone recommended you to me. He said if I do not hire you I am stupid."

I was shocked. Who was so kind to me?

"Who was it Sir?"

Mr. Johan handed me a piece of paper.

"Read this."

The Biggest Surprise

I took the paper. My eyes went wide when I saw the letterhead. It was a letter from my old company.

And the signature at the bottom belonged to Mr. Razak.

The content of the letter made my knees go weak.

To the CEO of First Pinnacle Group,

I am firing my best employee today. His name is Ahmad. He is the most detailed and hardworking and patient worker I have ever met.

My company is too small for his talent. I have taught him everything for 3 years. He cannot grow here anymore. But the problem is he is too loyal. He will not quit by himself because he pities me.

So I have to be the bad guy. I fired him so he is forced to find bigger career opportunities. Hire him. He is a gem that I polished hard.

Sincerely, Razak.

The paper slipped from my hand.

I felt like screaming right there.

Turns out Mr. Razak was not cruel. He saw my potential. He knew if I kept working with him my salary would not increase much. He knew I was comfortable in my comfort zone.

The only way to push me forward was to kick me out.

The Truth Revealed

Mr. Johan smiled seeing my pale face.

"Mr. Razak is my old friend. He called me a week ago. He said he sent a gift. That gift is you," Mr. Johan said.

"So you are hired. When can you start?"

At that moment all my hate for Mr. Razak vanished. It was replaced by a mountain of respect.

He was willing to let me hate him as long as I succeeded. He was willing to be the villain in my life story so I could be the hero in my career.

What I Learned

I got the job. My life changed completely.

This is the most expensive life lesson I ever learned.

We are always too quick to judge people. When we face workplace problems we think our boss is cruel. We think the world is unfair.

But sometimes God sends tough people to teach us to be strong. And sometimes the door of provision is locked tight so we are forced to find another door that is bigger.

Mr. Razak never said congratulations when I got the new job.

When I sent a WhatsApp message to say thank you he just replied:

"Don't embarrass me. Work properly."

That is Mr. Razak. He does not need to say I love you. His actions were enough to prove he was the best mentor I ever had.

And the amazing career opportunities I have now are all because he was brave enough to fire me that day.