Why Your Best People Leave (and What You Can Do About It)
Amazing Employees Don’t Leave Jobs. They Leave Bad Managers.
This is your daily reminder: top performers always have options. When one of your best people decides to leave, it’s rarely about the work itself. It’s usually about their manager.
At Reimagine, every one of us has seen this story play out: Without warning, a leader loses their most competent team member. An employee who loved the company, loved the mission, and was deeply committed to the work. But after months of feeling unheard, overlooked, or undervalued by their manager, they hand in their notice. They didn’t want to go, but they felt they had to, that it was the only option.
The impact always hits hard: teams lose expertise, momentum takes a hit, and morale dips. The worst part? It could often have been avoided.
The Cost of Losing a Star Employee
The thing we don’t always talk about is the cost of replacing a top performer. It’s not just inconvenient. It’s expensive! Think about recruitment fees, training time, and the long runway before a new hire hits full productivity (If you’re a numbers person, research estimates the cost at 1.5-2x the employee’s annual salary!!). But the real cost goes deeper: the knowledge that walks out the door, the relationships lost, and the morale drop for the team that is left behind. High turnover rarely happens in isolation. It’s often a symptom of leadership issues that haven’t been addressed.
Everyday Behaviours That Drive Talent Away
Even the best leaders can unintentionally push people out. Here are some of the most common patterns:
Ego and arrogance - always needing to be right instead of listening.
Avoidance of feedback - dodging the tough truths.
Putting yourself first - prioritizing personal wins over your team.
Weak connection skills - not showing respect, empathy, or genuine interest.
Inconsistency - saying one thing, doing another.
Neglecting development - keeping people busy but not helping them grow.
Self-Check…Are You That Manager?
It’s not easy to look in the mirror, but it’s absolutely essential to shifting habits. Ask yourself:
Do people feel safe disagreeing with me?
Have I asked for honest feedback recently?
Do I know the real reasons people have left my team?
Am I helping people grow, or just keeping them on task?
When things go sideways, am I owning my part, or casting blame?
This isn’t about being a “bad” leader. These are just habits and habits can change. Most leaders who commit to working on their blind spots see meaningful shifts in less than two years. The keys are awareness, willingness, and consistent practice.
How to Make Sure You’re Not That Manager
Seek unfiltered feedback from your team.
Practice active listening but with real curiosity, not defensiveness.
Coach people toward solutions instead of always directing.
Address issues directly instead of avoiding tough conversations.
Model the behavior you expect, because people watch more than they listen.
Don’t Wait Until They Leave
If you want to keep your best people, the time to start is now… not when they’re already halfway out the door. That’s why we created Turning Managers into People Leaders, a program that helps leaders build the habits that keep top performers engaged, motivated, and thriving.
Because at the end of the day, it’s a cliché but it’s true: people don’t leave jobs. They leave managers. Make sure you’re the kind of manager people want to stay for.