JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon isn’t afraid to say it how it is. His message to the financial industry is blunt: if you want a high-performing, respectful workplace, you need to clear out the troublemakers – and sometimes, that means letting people go, no matter their role or revenue.

During the Databricks Data & AI Summit, Dimon struck a chord when he insisted: “You should fire the a**holes.” His words drew applause from the crowd – a frank acknowledgement that just a handful of toxic people can undermine an entire team’s productivity and morale.

“It only takes a few of ‘em to destroy a meeting,” Dimon said, adding that this principle applies not just to employees but to clients as well.

“I hate to say this, but sometimes those a**holes include customers. I have fired customers because they are so rude to our people.”

For Dimon, this isn’t a matter of ego; it’s about protecting workplace culture and, by extension, the health of the business. Allowing abusive behaviour, whether from a colleague or a client, destroys morale and dampens productivity. His view underscores a key principle for forward-thinking companies: you need discipline alongside compassion to create a thriving culture.

Turning discipline into opportunity

Dimon insisted that companies must be willing to make tough choices to foster an environment where employees can do their best:

You have to go out of your way to get the best of people.

“It’s amazing, if you do, what that does, for a country, a university, a company, if you create that environment,” he said.

This view extends to leadership itself. Dimon said: “If you want to be a winner in this world, you’ve got to give it your all. And if you can’t, there’s nothing wrong with you, but you shouldn’t be the boss anymore.”

Such discipline comes from a deep, ongoing, and honest assessment of all aspects of a business – from internal culture to customer relationships – and then a willingness to act decisively.

A hardline on remote working

This tough-love approach is also evident in Dimon’s policy on remote working. His stance is to enable collaboration, mentoring and communication to flourish when people are physically present.

It’s hard to manage people remotely. Much easier to have real honest conversations if I’m sitting in front of you,” he said.

The view underscores a longstanding conviction at JP Morgan that in-person interaction matters. “When you’re with me, you get a hundred percent of my attention, a hundred percent of the time,” Dimon said.

JP Morgan made headlines in March when it demanded all employees return to the office full time. The policy met resistance from some – prompting a small exodus and a petition – but Dimon remained unfazed. His view is that the benefits of physical collaboration outweigh the drawbacks of upheaval.

In a leaked internal memo, the bank’s leadership – Dimon alongside CHRO Robin Leopold – addressed growing dissatisfaction, as seen in the results of the company’s annual employee survey:

Health and wellbeing scores remain favourable, though they dipped slightly year on year.”

Nonetheless, the memo insisted a return to the office was “how we do our best work and foster connections and mobility opportunities”.

Some employees were frustrated. Scores for health, wellbeing, career opportunities and work-life balance fell, yet the return-to-office policy remained firm.

The bank maintains its view that in-person interaction is key to developing future leaders and delivering the best service to clients.

Discipline, culture and change

JPMorgan Chase remains a financial powerhouse being the largest bank in the US, with US$3.9 trillion in assets. It isn’t afraid to make tough calls.

Between 2020 and 2024, the workforce also grew from 255,000 to 317,000. But this expansion comes with growing responsibilities: developing future leaders, maintaining discipline and protecting a culture of collaboration.

The bank also expects technology, particularly artificial intelligence, to affect its operations. It estimates it could cut its workforce by 10% in some divisions, a reflection of ongoing change and a drive to become more efficient.

Ultimately, Dimon’s message is about how discipline, fairness, and high standards create a workplace where people can perform at their best – and that’s true whether you’re a veteran executive or a junior recruit. His policy decisions underscore a simple, powerful principle: sometimes you need to make hard choices to keep your culture strong.

Photo credit: JP Morgan