People don’t quit their job they quit their leader. This phrase has been around for a long time and despite its truth it is often ignored. Instead they fool themselves into thinking they are leaving for pay, they couldn’t handle the workload, they resisted change or their loyalty to the company is called into question.
When there is a mass exodus from a particular department someone needs to examine the leadership of that group. Yet they don’t. No one questions why so many have abandoned ship. No one bats an eye at the fact that half of the team, who may have possessed vast intimate knowledge of the organization, has managed to find another job in a down economy.
During the exit interview, the people who are resigning are unable to be bold and say it is the leader they are leaving. They will blame themselves saying things like “I don’t get it”, “I’ve outgrown my role” or “this isn’t a fit for me”. This self-blame is the greatest tragedy of all because they begin to doubt themselves and their self-confidence plummets. If you listen carefully and with an open mind you will hear them talk about poor communication, culture, lack of career path or morale. These are all things that the leader is responsible for.
When a department suddenly has an increase in turnover, when that department is losing tenured staff, go beneath the surface and start looking at the leader. Stop writing it off as another entitled employee who is throwing a fit about pay, that they didn’t get their way or that they don’t play well with others. Reflect on the reasons they resigning, listen to what they are saying and ask clarifying questions to dig a little deeper. People are your greatest assets don’t let them become a casualty of unhealthy leadership.
Last updated on March 4th, 2018 at 05:04 am
