June 2023

As a talent partner to some great organizations, I’ve seen my fair share of turnover (admittedly, this is not terrible for my line of work). It pains me whenever I see a good employee leave a company for reasons that could have been remediated or altogether avoided. The sad part is that there are normally warning signs that those in positions of leadership fail to see or completely ignore. If you’ve recently had to deal with an increased number of people running away from your leadership, then chances are there could be an underlying issue related to your approach to handling those relationships. Here are some of the common mistakes I’ve personally noticed amongst leaders: They adopt a standalone leadership style – It’s common for some leaders to manage their teams from their own little remote island. If this is you, then you’ll have a difficult time building good camaraderie and chemistry within your team.  This has been exacerbated by covid and the rise in remote & hybrid working arrangements, some of which is necessary due to legitimate personal circumstances, but some accommodated merely out of convenience or preference. I caution you not to operate as a separate entity from your team, only making appearances when it is in your best interest to do so. They neglect to say, “Good morning!” – This sounds insignificant, but acknowledging your team when you walk into the office in the mornings or during a morning video touchpoint is vital to building a healthy & friendly team culture. It is human nature to emotionally disconnect from an environment or from a relationship when you are not acknowledged or made to feel important. Try your best not to fall into the trap of making your best people feel like you are doing them a favour by allowing them to be on your team. They treat their people like cattle – Average employees who are only working for a pay cheque may not mind being herded around like cattle, but for top-performers who care about their work and the impact it has on a company and the world around them, they prefer a more personalized & kind approach to the leader/employee relationship. This mindset is more common amongst larger organizations with multiple departments/layers, but within your immediate team, endeavour to be a welcoming and engaging leader who treats everyone with respect & dignity. They don’t listen – This is where most people in positions of leadership lose the respect of their team and subsequently see higher levels of turnover. We say we are listening to our best employees, but our actions suggest otherwise. Common examples of this disconnect could be not addressing grievances that have been raised by an employee or failing to recognize an employee’s strengths and leveraging those strengths across the organization accordingly. Also, refrain from creating a culture where fingers are pointed and blame is assigned when things go wrong, or an employee leaves the company. People normally quit as a result of feeling unrecognized for their contributions, feeling detached from their boss or team, having unattainable carrots dangled over their heads, or being forced into roles that they don’t enjoy doing. There is no work-life balance – This should go without saying and in this post-covid climate, but it is imperative that leaders offer their employees a balance that includes time in the office and time away from the office when it’s necessary to do so. They delegate & micromanage at the same time – Are you one of those leaders who assigns a task to a member of your team, only to obsessively over-manage the way they complete the task? If this is you, then stop this immediately. Nothing is more demoralizing for a team then to not have the trust from their leader or room to make mistakes and learn from them. Delegate and cut the strings immediately, only lending oversight when it’s asked for or clearly needed. Final thoughts: At some point, you’ll need to face the hard truth that the problem could be you, but the good news is that we are all learning how to be better leaders. If this latest article has highlighted some points that are relevant to you, then please, for the sake of those under you, take the necessary steps to improve your approach to dealing with people and problems. Feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me directly if you have any questions. Remember, leadership is a privilege, not a right. Lead with your heart and don’t be too prideful to apologize. All the best to you, my fellow leaders.