People Quit Leaders, Not Organizations

Paul has been the leader of his organization for over a decade. His delicate ego does not allow him to be questioned, and he refuses to deal with conflict on his team because he's scared of them.

Recently, a middle-management employee left the company and sent Paul a five-page email outlining their reasons for leaving. Paul's reaction was simple: He was stunned and had no idea there were any problems. Then he said they just flipped out, and there was "always something off" about them.

The problem is that every person who leaves the company has the same thing said about them. There's never the slightest possibility they had valid reasons for leaving. Instead, they all quit for some stupid reason and/or because they just weren't right.

It's a hard fact to face, but people typically don't quit organizations. They may love the company they work for and see many great things about it. However, a bad leader can make even the most dedicated employee hate their job. In the overwhelming majority of cases, a person who leaves a company or department does so because of the person in charge of that department.

The flip side is that a great leader can actually cause people to stay in a poorly run organization. If the team feels like their opinion is valued and they truly want to see their leader succeed because they like and believe in them, they will stick through the hard times to help them through.

So, how does someone become the type of leader people want to stick around for?

1. Never stop learning. In Paul's case, he has never read a challenging leadership book or taken any online courses to improve. He is, in his mind, a powerful, effective, perfect leader, even though his team and the rest of the world say otherwise. If we force ourselves to keep learning (even when it's inconvenient or we think we know it all), we grow in the process if we are willing to accept instruction. We all need to improve every day. We all have room to do better. If you are willing to accept that and build on it, people will notice.

2. Accept the fact that sometimes you blow it. No one is perfect. We all mess up from time to time. Maybe you handled a situation wrong and lost an employee because of how they felt they were treated. Maybe you lost your temper and lost respect in the process. Whatever the case, own up to it. Ignoring it or refusing to acknowledge it doesn't change the fact that the rest of the world sees you for who you really are. Allow yourself to learn from your mistakes.

   I knew a leader who always said, "I don't make mistakes. I create opportunities." That sounds so cool to him, but to the rest of the world, he's saying, "I cannot accept the fact that I'm a fallible human being. When something goes wrong, it's not my fault."

3. Seek honest feedback. It's really hard sometimes to ask, but getting feedback from your team can be an honest gauge of where your organization really stands. In Paul's case, if his team had been allowed to express concerns, he might not have lost some of the folks. Instead, his closed-off "I'm perfect" approach means his team knows any issues they have will remain as long as they stay with the company. No matter how much a person loves an organization, there will come a day when they've had all they can take if there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

   Your ego might take a beating, but in the long run your team will stick with you when they see you trying. And surprisingly enough, very few people use the opportunity to just be abusive. Some folks do because those types of people just look for a reason to hurt folks, but most will respect and appreciate the opportunity for what it is.

Not every person who leaves does so because of a bad leader. People have to move, family situations change, better opportunities present themselves, etc. But most people who have every reason to stay but choose not to are leaving because of bad leadership. And it's something that can be easily avoided.

Remember: it costs your company a lot more to train new people than to keep the ones you have. Recognize the awesome responsibility and privilege you have as a leader and grow with it!

P.S. My newest program "Metamorphosis: Transform Your Leadership" is geared toward helping you become the best leader you can be. It's a more in-depth program that is structured toward an extended session, but we can make it work with the time frame of your event. And don't forget to check out the book as well!