“Bobby, you’re going to have to fire Mark (pseudonym). None of his previous managers had the courage to give him feedback, so Mark thinks he’s performing well. But he’s been a cancer on the team, and you’ll need to let him go.” That’s what my District Manager told me right after I accepted my first management job. The entire situation caught me off guard. I had just graduated with my MBA, and I had a rosy view of what my introduction to management would be like. I envisioned myself mentoring ...