How this CEO's ruthless firing rule has sparked a heated online debate.

American CEO Natalie Dawson has caused an online storm after admitting she fired two of her employees for infidelity.

Appearing on The Diary Of A CEO podcast, the president of Cardone Ventures spoke about the time she found out two people in her team were cheating on their significant others.

"As soon as I found out about it, I terminated both of them immediately," Dawson said.

The entrepreneur added that firing the employees "wasn't even a split-second decision".

"I can't have this in my environment, especially somebody close around me," she said. "People trust me and should trust any leader to help them make their success easy."

Watch: CEO Natalie Dawson on why she fired her employees for cheating. Post continues after video.

Dawson went on to say that, even if the infidelity didn't occur at work, she would still "fire the person immediately".

When host Steven Bartlett questioned whether an employee's personal life was relevant in a workplace, Dawson pushed back.

"If they're going to cheat on the person they're supposed to spend the rest of their life with, do you think that they're cheating on their work?" she asked. "That person is a liability to the environment."

The 31-year-old argued that she can't separate someone's work from their home life because they "bleed into" each other.

"If somebody has a problem in their personal life, they're the same person that shows up to work," she said.

Dawson's comments sparked an electric debate online.

Some agreed with the CEO, saying that cheating is a sign of character.

"It's about values and morals. If you cheat on your spouse, what's stopping you from cheating the books, customers, etc.?" one person wrote in the comments.

Another agreed, writing: "After working with many CEOs, what's happening at home ABSOLUTELY shows up at work."

A third suggested that, while "integrity matters", they wouldn't "go as far as firing" a person for infidelity.

"But I would question their capacity to bring all of themselves to work."

Others blatantly disagreed with Dawson, arguing that "being loyal in business" is different to being loyal in a relationship.

"Not saying cheating is OK, by any means, but I can see how it's a different type of betrayal," one user wrote.

Another suggested that "your employees personal business is NONE of yours," adding that CEOs themselves can cheat.

"Half of the companies would be left with no workers if every CEO would do this," wrote a third person.

Dawson co-founded Cardone Ventures in 2019. Since then, the business consulting company has scaled to $250M (approx AUD$380M) in revenue.

"We partner with business owners to help them achieve personal, professional, and financial freedom by applying tested, measurable growth strategies," Dawson wrote on her website. "I'm not a guru, I'm an operator. My playbook is built on execution, discipline, and results."

This isn't the first time Dawson has shared contentious opinions about firing employees.

In a LinkedIn post from last year, the CEO wrote: "I love firing people."

"Sounds harsh, right?" she continued. "But here's why: firing someone defines your culture. It sets the standard for what your company will—or won't—tolerate."

She went on to claim that the people she has fired in the past "weren't willing to do what it takes to service [their] clients".

"If someone's more focused on their title or internal politics, instead of the growth and success of our clients, they're not a fit for Cardone Ventures. Simple as that," she wrote.

"As a leader, it's your responsibility to filter the people, ideas, and influences in your environment.

"I want people who embrace our mission and are ready to do whatever it takes to help our clients grow."

The post sparked plenty of backlash from many business professionals.

"If you love firing people you are unfit to lead," commented CEO Mark Partridge. "Firing people should be a last resort. It should be a decision you agonise over.

"You are playing with someone's livelihood, and if you're doing that, you damn well better make sure you've done everything in your power to enable that individual before you take a drastic decision.

"I understand what you're trying to say. The way you're saying it is absolutely appalling. Leading without empathy is no way to lead."

Feature Image: Facebook/Natalie Dawson