Jamie Dimon has a tip for improving workplace culture quickly: “Fire the assholes.”
Speaking on Wednesday at the Databricks Data & AI Summit, Dimon took a question about “general leadership advice” for ensuring the next generation of workers is prepared to take the helm in an age of AI, constant distractions from their phones, and working from home.
The JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO responded that it starts with a “constant and honest assessment of everything” from your customer base to your regulatory environment. Still, he stressed that while that assessment requires discipline, it’s key to maintain “heart and humanity” as well.
“You have to go out of your way to get the best of people, and it’s amazing, if you do, what that does — for a country, a university, a company — if you create that environment,” Dimon said.
“You should fire the assholes,” he added. “It only takes a few of ’em to destroy a meeting.”
The crowd erupted in cheers at Dimon’s suggestion.
“I hate to say this, but sometimes those assholes include customers,” Dimon added. “I have fired customers because they are so rude to our people. And I tell our people that, if I allow that to happen, just think of what you’d think. Just take your energy and put it to someone who actually wants your benefits.”
This approach to creating an inclusive work environment is crucial to ensuring employees feel treated with trust and respect, so, in turn, “they can contribute to the company to the best of their ability,” Dimon said.
He said it starts with a top-down environment focused on discipline and effort, whether you’re a pro athlete or the leader of the largest bank in the country.
“If you want to be a winner in this world, you’ve got to give it your all,” Dimon said. “And if you can’t, there’s nothing wrong with you, but you shouldn’t be the boss anymore.”
The banking titan also reiterated his position on remote work, which he has previously criticized as antithetical to creating a vibrant office culture, especially for younger professionals.
Dimon said it’s hard to manage people remotely and much easier to have “real honest conversations if I’m sitting in front of you.”
“When you’re with me, you get a hundred percent of my attention, a hundred percent of the time,” he said.
