People don’t leave companies. They leave leaders!

I have employed thousands of people over the years. And every time one resigned, a little part of me died. (OK, I lie. I have actually danced a celebratory jig around my desk on the odd occasion, but that’s another blog!)

Mostly, my natural reaction has always been a human one I suppose. “What possible reason would they have to do that?” or “What’s wrong with them?” or even, “She must be leaving for money. The fool!”

But I grew wiser as the years rolled by.

Mostly, people don’t change jobs solely for money. They almost never resign on a whim, or in a fit of anger. They joined your company because they believed it right for them, and actually they want it to be right. Something, at some point, makes it wrong. And if you really take the time to dig into their real reasons for leaving – and you should – you will find that it’s not ‘the company’ they blame. It’s not the location, or the team, or the database or the air-conditioning.

It’s the leadership!

Sure, they may not use that word. Indeed, they may not mention management at all.

But when they talk about ‘morale’, when they say ‘communication is poor’, when they express frustration at the lack of clarity for their career progression – they are telling you that it’s the leaders they are leaving. For it’s obvious, isn’t it? Leaders are responsible for morale, communication and career path.

So, for maybe 15 years I have been irritating the senior managers who report to me, by stopping them in mid-sentence when they start venting at the stupidity, lack of gratitude and disloyalty of the departing employee.

Looking into a mirror can be a shocking experience. Especially if you have not done it for a while.

A ‘company’ is just a legal entity. A ‘business’ is a collection of desks and computers. No one resigns because of that.

It’s the decisions, the motivation, the atmosphere, the ethos, the support, the training, the vision, and the direction set by the leadership that they will follow.

Or not.

So next time you get a resignation, resist the temptation to laugh it off as ‘another dumbo who doesn’t get us’.

Take a moment to reflect on what it actually is they are resigning from.

It’s not the departing employee who doesn’t  ‘get it’. It’s not the company they are leaving.

It’s you.

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  • Posted by Greg Savage
  • On April 3, 2013
  • 58 Comments
Tags: Building Morale, Employee engagement, resignation, Staff retention

58 Comments

Alan Allebone
Oh so very very true! Prior to joining TEAM I was State Manager Victoria, for a reasonably sized recruiting company. The Senior Leadership was very poor even for us State Managers. We had someone who knew absolutely nothing about recruitment, leadership at senior level or anything about human interaction. As long as you worked 18 hours a day regardless how busy you were or were not, you were okay. No reason at all was accepted if your State was not performing! No senior management training was given, why? because we were the State Managers and we should know it all. When I did resign it was not for the money as the package was excellent. The first thing the owner asked was why did this happen? Too late I was gone. two other State managers resigned at the same time! It was too late as there was no way I was going to withdraw my resignation and Greg that was the best thing I had ever done in my 37 years in recruiting. Leaders sometimes do not spend enough time with their staff, they do not communicate as they are always too busy looking after their own affairs. Then when it happens they ask why did this happen? Why didn't someone tell me? Listening, supporting and showing respect to their staff goes a long long way. This blog is a long time coming and I am very pleased you have done it Greg. Good one as usual Thank you
    Laura
    Thanks Greg, Interesting article. However I think it is only 1/2 true. I have a view that people leave for positive or negative reasons. Positive reasons include following a dream opportunity, a new career path, a promotion, etc and I often help, encourage and up skill people to enable them to achieve these goals. I then celebrate with them when they leave. I see nothing wrong with helping people achieve their goals and dreams (even if it means I may lose a fabulous employee). On occasion I have had the benefit of these people coming back to work for me again at a future date and I then get the added benefit of the new experience/skills they have learned plus a motivate and engaged employee. If people are not leaving for a reason such as those listed above then they are leaving for negative reasons and I am in 100% agreement with you. It will be their manager or the company leadership they are leaving. Laura
Alicia
This is 100% true in my circumstance at the moment. I love what I do, the people I work with and the location. The thing letting it all down and making me want to leave is the person in charge.
    Diana
    Very true article indeed! I'm in the same situation as Alicia. I tried speaking with my line manager however noting happened. I really like my job and I've decided to continue practicing my profession in another company!
Alan Allebone
Alicia we have to be happy in what we do but if you do not have the 100% WANT as i put it then you should move on and find your happiness where people will respect you and WANT you to be there. It will eventually affect your performance. You have to want to get out of bed any weather and WANT to go to work because you WANT to not need to. One of the biggest and best rewards at work is being happy and respected. Good luck
Joanne Skerritt
A fish rots from the head. Enough said. J
Darren Hatton
Great post as per usual Greg. ...and it's not just limited to the recruitment industry either - it's all industries with ALL "leadership" Ironically, it's perhaps one of the reasons why recruiters and our industry exists in the first place...
Ahsan Fayyaz
Very true. It will be great if all senior managers / executives have following statement from this article printed on their desk: ‘Looking into a mirror can be a shocking experience. Especially if you have not done it for a while.’ One should do this quite often. It’s very sad that organizations let people go despite their talent. I personally know a lot of professionals who were asked the same question ‘why are you leaving’’ when it was already late...
Chrish
I generally agree. Just for the thrill of the argument though: "Your boss is your job." In many occasions I see people leave/fail/fall-out because they do not acknowledge that in this non-democratic setting that is corporate life, a large part of satisfaction can come from helping your boss succeed. This does not mean sucking up to her or him it simply indicates that one acknowledges that we are all humans trying to achieve our goals and I find it quite acceptable to make your bosses goals your goals.
    Greg Savage
    I agree ChrisH. Its true that everyone should know what his/her Boss is trying to achieve.. and support that where possible
    Rajesh Upadhyay
    A bit of caution though ! Is your boss' Objectives your organisation's objectives as well? there can be vested interests which you need to be watchful for. Greg this is indeed a wonderful view and no one in their entire honesty can discount this. Yet, if we take a deeper look, it all starts when a person joins an organisation, with great expectations, aspirations to contribute and add value to both the organization and self. Its the leaders job to ensure a cultural homogeneity is maintained and the new entrants are not only trained/oriented to adapt the cultural values, rather the recruitment process itself filters deviations individual cultural values.(Please and I want to re-emphasise cultural diversity in an Organization is not good at all whereas difference of opinions on issues/matters is) Off course for a growing organization, org culture is dynamic and no sooner than later, the view about the core cultural values become hazy , confusing and needs revamp, re-emphasis. Leaders often fail to do this effectively and people start getting disenchanted with the blurry picture ahead. People bringing in their own set of values and aren't groomed enough to adapt and gel well into the new ecosystem.People start getting disconnected as they can't associate with the vision, mission or the objectives and don't see their Leader's objectives as their own (as the leaders themselves aren't able to connect theirs with the Organization's) very soon the threshold is reached and People indeed Leave, not the org but for sure theirr Leaders !!!
Olufunmilola
No truer words!
DemiK
Thank you for putting it out there Greg...well said
jay
Its true
Yuriy Shevchenko
Mr. Savage, I have to say you are absolutely, completely and totally on the mark here. My first boss in recruitment was aboslutely superb and I left that company only to relocate to Sydney. After that I worked for another outstanding boss for seven years, which is a long time in our business. However, my last two bosses before my current role were both utter morons and I ended up leaving as soon as I possibly could, both times in about 2½ months. I have counseled many people who were looking for jobs not to touch those companies with a barge pole. Great leadership in our industry is rare but it's relatively easy to spot if you're checking a company out and there are several recruiters who've been there for years. Just one more thing (without wishing to sound like Colombo) .... the worst kind of stress you get in our business is not that which you get from obstreperous candidates and clients. It's that stress which you get from utterly incompetent, humourless, narcissistic and clueless managers.
Cedric
This is totally true. My wife worked for a company that did not meet her expectations or needs, but was willing to stay because her supervisor was awesome.
Sue
Totally agree. Been there done that. So how do you tell it to boss when you leave?
Nick Dobbs
Greg This is indeed the most Savage of Truths. Some investment banks and venture capitalists should take a long hard look at your article before they rush in and impose whole-scale changes to acquisitions - particularly senior management. All too often I have seen previously successful companies royally screwed up because the new investor thinks that they know better and that their practices are a panacea. Although the new investor's prerogative, the new replacement leaders take little time to understand the culture and the things that made that company successful and brought it to market in the first place. Blame culture kicks in, results plummet and the company enters into a period of revolving doors in terms of senior management. If you ever hear the disingenuous declaration "we are looking forward to working with the existing senior management team" at the first meeting with the new investors - be very very wary.
Robert M. Donnelly
Good leaders get things done because they inspire their teams to want to be the best that they can be.
John Hobel
Great blog, something all HR managers should keep in mind. I think it's also important for leaders to realize that you can't have a cookie-cuuter approach to staff. What motivates one may not work with another. Get to know your people.
S. Tolliver
Great read. thanks for sharing!
S Kumar
People leave Managers, not Leaders.
Donnie L
Truer words were never said. I also agree with S. Kumar, all industries use the words manager and leader interchangeably, and that is wrong. I have worked with and beside many managers, some of them were exceptional at their jobs, others not so much. I have also been blessed to work for and with some exceptional leaders, but they were few and far between.
Don
Dead on! I've been managing for 30 years, and I agree with your article 100%. Good job presenting the point.
Halle
The title ''People don’t leave companies. They leave leaders!'' explained so much the feeling I have since yesterday and the break point meeting I had with the president of the group who happens to be my direct superior. Some have forgotten about human. They do react only by numbers and board decisions even if not strategic. The economic slowdown put leaders and managers to think about today, not tomorrow and so does government. We see growth in startup launch but more because people wants to be their own employer than by creativity. Consultants are everywhere and for everything. Companies will struggled somehow to get back their best assests (people) if they don't take care of them.
Steve de Groot
They came for the organization and the vision. They left due to leadership! A great and honest blog.
Abby Huizing
I sell franchises for a living, and 90% of people who are leaving their current employment tell me it's because of their boss. Bad bosses are great business for me. Unhappy employees will search high and low for an escape from horrible leadership.
Jan Hills
So true! all the engagement research agrees with you. But leaders could do with a litle help, in my view in understanding how they impact people. neuroscience is giving us good insight. watch this short video on the science of engagement for more information http://www.headheartbrain.com/the-latest-engagement-2/
Coogee Barbuzza
While I agree with the basic premise here the truth is most leave because of a lack of leadership. And being in charge (or the boss) doesn't automatically mean you are a leader. Of course, it also pays to remember the words of Woodrow Wilson - Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise. So sometimes those you lose when true leadership is present are those you shouldn't have had to start.
Emma
Precisely why I resigned from a company last week. You've summed it up very well.
ToniB
Great post and some of the replies are spot on.
Leona
Brilliant post. Articulated perfectly.
Rob Young
Hard to argue with the sentiment, but shouldn't we also be applauding those who choose to spread their wings and leave for new challenges. I'm always chuffed when someone we've nurtured and help to develop has the confidence to seek new challenges taking real responsibility for themselves and their future. They have new horizons where the can apply their learning in their own unique way and we have the opportunity to refresh ourselves and the business with new people. Reflecting on why people leave an organisation is a good thing to do but don't fall into the trap of thinking that people always want to follow your map for them.
ayesha
I think this post needs to clarify what it means by management. Does the person leave because of their immediate management or the overall structure?
adam5zki
Well, I would entirely agree. An employee who is has been around the corner a couple times knows that the whole employment relationship is just a business deal. Employees provide their time, skill, expertise and effort (energy) in exchange for money (and benefits, but that is just another form of money). The work environment (the office setting, the team, equipment, processes) play quite a role in the happiness of the employee, but in the end the whole thing is a price/value situation. If the same job can be done elsewhere for more money, while the other conditions don't significantly change, or change to the better, there is not much reason to stay. Other than the loyalty to the company, team, the friends one made there. The sad truth is, that this is a one direction thing. Most companies don't "feel" loyalty to employees. They can get the same work for cheaper somewhere else - poof you're gone. And however much one wishes for it, having a great work team, pleasure doing one's work, great experiences and all that crap, it does not pay the mortage, it does not put food on the table, it does not get the kids through college. And here comes in the leadership - it is their job to make you stay - to choose to stay, to ignore the call of more money and inspire loyalty and successfully hide the fact, that it is not repaid with loyalty. In my experience they either fail badly at it or do the exact oposite. My advice - money talks.
TFA
Amen and hallelujah! The problem is that it is so much easier to not look in the mirror. My experience has been that senior management tends to stick together, regardless of what is good for the company. Fault, according to them, nearly always lies with the junior employee.
Manoj
Very nice article . It precisely put some of my feelings about employee and manager relationship .although I am not very satisfied with the pay packages in my current job but I am continuing because I am working with an amazing team and the people around are very nice . The boss is very supportive and a nice guy . I have been thinking for a while to change the job and If I do so in near future it will be purely for my financial reasons .while I am aware I will be leaving a great team , I will be anxious to explore what is the worth of my job elsewhere in the industry .
Angie Weeks
Thank you for posting, this is an excellent reminder! I have a new salesperson starting this week, and I know how important it is to set them up to win. Your post reminds me a little of some of the main points from "Monday Morning Leadership", which is a great short read for anyone who wants better retention and vision.
Harish P
I fully endorse the views of Greg. Engagement is the name of the game. As long as you can keep the team "engaged" they stay with you and this does not arise from your organisation alone. Engagement can manifest in different ways viz, inspiration, team work, bonding, learning, rotation etc etc, Again delegation of key and interesting work (not always mundane and repetitive) whereby a colleague is able to take the next higher step is also crucial. I have always believed that unless my colleagues grow I will stagnate. Another key point is "having an ear" and not only to listen to professional work but also to empathise with them in their personal life. After all one must realise that the maximum time spent by an individual outside his home is in office and sometimes the orders too are changed.
Robert
Good article........and I believe in the majority of instances absolutely spot-on! Sad thing is that corporates don't track patterns and spot the areas where leaders are weak. There are too many other kpi's to focus on so perhaps this should be added. Would allow organisations to spot the ineffective/inefficient leader and deal with them in good time.
Ryan Harding
Greg- Thank you for sharing this! I have never been a manager, but have worked for many managers who have done exactly this when I leave a company. The reality is that it was the leadership that drove me out of the company. I'm almost tempted to send this to some prior managers :-)
Mark S
I believe "leadership" is a misnomer in this case. It is the lack of leadership in their bosses that is causing people to leave. Some bosses think that the proper treatment of those under them is to solely scold and push them. I had an employee that if I told her to do something, she would put it in a drawer and get to it after everything else. If instead I asked her to do it, she dropped everything and did it right away. It is a subtle difference but it was there. Leaders lead while bosses boss. A boss can run an organization for quite some time especially in a tight economy but they will not get everything out of their employee. A leader will get people who want to work for them and want to do more for them. A leader rolls up his sleeves when needed, takes the time to mentor, notices when an employee had a need and addresses it, stands up for his employees, and when needed instructs the employee without scolding. People are people not machines and a leader knows this but gets the group running like a machine as a team.
nn
So true and what is most unfortunate is that most companies (and their leaders) just don't care.
Timothy Ramsier
Greg, what you say is very true. I think that one way a person can have insight to the thoughts and perceptions of their staff's is through improved open communication. I touch on one aspect of this in my most recent post. http://nakedsales.net/2013/05/22/shhh-here-he-comes-what-your-staff-isnt-telling-you/
Raj
What got my attention was the title. I have heard it said differently. People don't leave companies. They leave bosses. From my perspective there is a vast difference between a boss and a leader. A leader is one I admire, respect and trust. This is not a person I want to leave. However, a boss is one who has a title and position power over me and expects full compliance with orders. While there are some "good" bosses the word conveys a use of power that can be easily abused. I would contend, people leave bosses, not leaders. If compensation is fair and the work is challenging I am likely to stay with a leader. However, a bad boss would certainly be a reason to leave.
Fred Elmore
Greg, your article makes some great points. Of course it is assumed the candidate was the “right fit” to begin with. I agree people don’t typically leave positions because of money. However, how many recruiters dig into what a candidate is really looking for BEFORE they submit them to a position? Company culture and leadership style is important and I fear many recruiters overlook verifying candidates “fit” the culture and leadership before submittal. http://www.clinicalstaffingreviews.com/category/reviews/niche-clinical-recruitment/
Xavi
I completely agree, in some cases money is the reason to leave companies but in my own experience, and in people I managed, professional and personal relation with your manager is the main point.
Woods
Good artical,i completely agree with your opinion,so to pay more attention to the want-to-leave employees , knowing their true ideas is really very important for HR, The question is how to Know and learn these ideas? As a HR director,i often take much of time to chat with them,not intentionally. then to know you want to know. Especially you should show your care and sincerity .
Jim
Maybe someone had made this observation before, but the title is misleading: people don't leave leaders; rather they leave failed leaders.
Neha
Hi Greg, Nice article, but what is the solution But why do one has to leave company coz of others, what is the sloution to it?If as an employee i have been able to deliver more that what is expected out of me ,then why is that comapny is not able to retain the employees. if an employeeI does not wanna leave the company he is working for, but since noboby is able to understand his furstation at the lack of clarity for career progression or movement, is forced to do that. What should an employee do in such cases.
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