Leaders have a tremendous responsibility to their teams as they wield a direct impact on the wellbeing of their employees. Good leaders inspire the trust, commitment and dedication of their teams; good leaders have a magnetic effect on those they lead. Conversely, bad leadership is also highly effective - as a repellant! And I am not talking about the kind of repellant that keep us safe from pesky mosquitos (that seem to be bigger here in Texas!). Rather, it is the kind of repellant that drives team members, including the most talented employees, to leave.
There are many reasons people might choose to join a company. But when it comes to exiting an organization, the reasons might be more common among leavers. Well known author, motivational speaker and business consultant Marcus Buckingham says it this way,
“The talented employee may join a company because of its charismatic leaders, its generous benefits, and its world-class training programs, but how long that employee stays and how productive he is while he is there is determined by his relationship with his immediate supervisor.”― Marcus Buckingham, First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
An Inc. article by Marcel Schwantes referred to a Gallup poll that found about 50 percent of people surveyed in a study left their job “to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career.” [1]
Dr. John C. Maxwell says, “We may say that people quit their job or their company, but the reality is that they usually quit their leaders. The “company” doesn’t do anything negative to them. People do.”
Over the course of my career, I am thankful that I had some really good leaders. But I have to confess, I also experienced the other end of the spectrum, working under a very difficult manager. One of the traits I value a lot about myself is my tenacity, which has developed over the years and helped me to work well with others – even those who might be more challenging. However, the environment created by my manager was untenable and I made the difficult decision to leave the company.
So, why do people quit their leaders?
What are these repelling traits of such managers that lead employees to quit? Dr. Maxwell summarized these in his book, The Self Aware Leader:
◈ Leaders who repeatedly demean, disrespect and devalue others.
◈ Untrustworthiness, demonstrated by such behaviors as withholding information, lying, being close-minded, seeking personal gain above the interests of the team and organization.
◈ Incompetent leaders. This is not just the competence required for the field of work, but also competence in leadership skills and managing different personality styles as well as different skills levels. Competence of the leader directly impacts the development of the team.
◈ Insecure leaders. This can be one of the strongest repellants as an insecure leader acts from a place of fear, suspicion, distrust and even jealousy. While competence can help a leader to develop members of a team, an insecure leader suffocates the growth and progress of the team.
We have to know our worth, and not succumb to the devaluation others try to force on us. Sometimes, that means we have to choose to leave a toxic work environment because it is imperative for our own wellbeing.
Are you attracting or repelling your team members?
I am all for taking personal responsibility in any situation we face in life, so this is not about saying bad managers are the only cause of a difficult work environment and they are definitely not the only reason employees leave. But because of the effect leaders have through their position, the impact they have on the workplace is amplified.
As leaders, how do you honor the tremendous responsibility you bear for your teams? Do you want to be the kind of leader that repels or do you want to exemplify the magnetic traits that make you the kind of leader others want to follow?
The great news is that leadership skills are learned, so anyone who is willing to do the work can improve and become an effective leader. Reach out to find out how you can start your personal growth journey to be the leader others want to follow. Book your free consultation today here.
[1] WhyDo People Quit Their Jobs, Exactly? Here's the Entire Reason, Summed Up in 1Sentence | Inc.com
