India, Aug. 19 -- A CEO's post recalling one of the "darkest days" of his corporate career, when he had to fire several people one after another, has sparked a discussion on the emotional toll that leaders face while letting go of employees.

Mumbai-based CEO and founder Sampark Sachdeva posted on LinkedIn how he felt when, years ago, he was asked to fire 25 people "back-to-back." He added that the management asked him to be "cold" and not show any emotions.

Sachdeva did what he was asked, but he remembered each employee he had to fire, including a single mom, a father-of-two, and an individual who told him, "Sir, you had hired me. You were here, so I stayed. Today, you are asking me to go, so I will go."

An individual praised, "Leaders...