A poignant post shared on LinkedIn by Sampark Sachdeva, founder and CEO of SamparkSeSampark, has ignited a widespread discussion regarding empathy and the profound human impact of corporate layoffs. Sachdeva recounted what he described as “the darkest day of my corporate career,” detailing the harrowing experience of having to terminate 25 employees, one after another, and the emotional toll it took on both him and the affected individuals.

Sachdeva vividly recalled a particularly difficult moment: “I saw the tear form at the corner of her eyes. And then, snap, it dropped. She was a single mother, sitting across the table. And I had to say the golden words we were trained to say, “Today is your last day.”” He emphasized that despite the layoffs being a corporate directive, each person had “a story, a home, a life that would be disrupted that evening.” The instructions given to him were stark: to maintain a cold demeanor, show no emotion, and avoid any softening of the blow or apologies, as these could be misconstrued as accepting blame. The standard script was to instruct employees to submit their ID cards and laptops, confirm HR would reach out, and state that system access would be disabled shortly.

The CEO further elaborated on the immense personal weight of these decisions. He acknowledged that while the organizational phase was tough and the names for layoff were not his to choose, it was incredibly difficult to convey this to individuals like a father of two, someone who had just taken a home loan, or a young woman who had relocated cities for the role. He shared a powerful anecdote where an employee looked him in the eye and said, “Sir, you had hired me. You were here, so I stayed. Today, you are asking me to go, so I will go.”

The emotional aftermath for Sachdeva was profound. He confessed that after the process concluded, he cried at work for the first time, struggling to hide his distress from the remaining team. The lump in his throat persisted, and that night, he found himself unable to sleep. He felt like a mere number, a face tasked with delivering a system’s decision, and admitted that the faces of those he let go haunted him long after. “That single tear… still haunts me. Because leadership is not just about making decisions. It’s about learning to live with them,” he reflected.

In his message to fellow managers, Sachdeva urged a balance between corporate resilience and compassion. He stressed that “behind every role is a life. And behind every termination is a story that deserves dignity.” He reminded leaders that their words carry significant weight and lasting impact on people’s lives, and sometimes, what remains unsaid is just as crucial. He underscored that although companies and individuals move on and rebuild, the memories of such difficult days, like the silence in the room and the heaviness in his chest, endure.

The LinkedIn post garnered a wave of sympathetic reactions, with many commenters applauding Sachdeva’s candid reflection and valuable advice. Responses consistently highlighted the human element often overlooked in corporate decisions. One commenter aptly stated, “Behind cold decisions lie real people with stories and pain,” while another added, “Resilience in business means making the call, but compassion means delivering it with dignity.” The sentiment was echoed by a powerful reminder that “leadership isn’t just about decisions—it’s about carrying their weight with humanity.” Many expressed gratitude for Sachdeva’s emphasis on the indispensable role of empathy in leadership, asserting that emotional intelligence is a vital quality and that what boardroom discussions label as “headcount reduction” translates directly to “human loss” on the ground. The consensus was that true leaders balance organizational survival with dignity in execution, making empathy not optional, but a quiet measure of real impact.