As a Leadership Development Coach, I have so many conversations with people who are heartbroken—not because they want to leave their organisation, but because they feel they have no other choice. They were passionate about their work, committed to their teams, and saw a long future ahead with an organisation they were truly proud to be part of. But then, a poor manager changed everything.
What makes it worse? They don’t feel like they can speak up. Many don’t trust that raising concerns will lead to real change. Some hesitate to go to HR or a senior leader—or, in some cases, they work in HR themselves and feel just as stuck. Others are completely fearful of escalating their concerns to those in higher positions, worried about being seen as petty, dramatic, or even jeopardising their career.
So they stay silent, hoping someone higher up might notice—perhaps questioning a shift in team behaviour, sensing tension in meetings, or recognising a spike in staff turnover. They wait, they hope, they second-guess their own experiences—until eventually, they decide they have no choice but to leave. Not because they want to, but because they can’t see another way forward.
Success isn’t just about knowing when to move on. It’s about creating workplaces where people want to stay.
In Jim Clifton and Jim Harter’s book It’s the Manager—which I believe every General Manager and CEO should read—their research reveals that ‘70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager’. Just let that figure sink in for a moment.
Too often, talented professionals don’t leave because they’ve lost passion or outgrown their role—they leave because they don’t see a future where they are. The real challenge for organisations isn’t just helping people move on, but ensuring they don’t have to make unnecessary courageous exits from careers they truly want to build. As Clifton and Harter put it so simply, ‘When you have great managers who can maximise the potential of every team member, you have delivered on the new global will: a great job and a great life.’
After reading a post by @Will McTighe, inspired by an image from Thinking Minds, which stated:
"Knowing when to leave is so important. The party. The job. The relationship."
I reflected on this and thought: I have finally learnt when to leave a party and in most cases relationships , but I despair that I—and so many others—have left jobs for reasons other than seeking growth elsewhere.
What if we flipped the focus? Instead of putting the responsibility solely on individuals to know when to leave, what if organisations became more courageous and asked themselves: ‘How can we be a courageous organisation and ensure our great people stay?’
This is what organisational courage looks like.
Here are 7 ways organisations can encourage people to stay and thrive:
1/ Foster Growth Opportunities.
↳ No one should feel like they’ve hit a ceiling. Career development should be continuous, not an afterthought.
2/ Recognise and Value Contributions.
↳ Hard work shouldn’t go unnoticed. Recognition, feedback, and appreciation create loyalty and motivation.
3/ Encourage Open Conversations.
↳ If people feel they have to ‘wait for the right time’ to raise concerns, the workplace culture isn’t truly open.
4/ Keep the Passion Alive.
↳ If enthusiasm is fading, it’s a sign to reinvent culture, leadership, and purpose—not just expect employees to push through.
5/ Strengthen Leadership.
↳ A poor manager can undo a great team in months. Supporting and developing leaders at all levels is critical.
6/ Align Roles with Aspirations.
↳ People evolve, and so should their roles. Helping employees adapt and grow within the organisation prevents them from looking elsewhere.
7/ Make Staying as Courageous as Leaving.
↳ It shouldn’t take bravery to endure a toxic environment. It should take courage from senior leaders to create safe, confidential spaces where employees at all levels can share their experiences without fear of repercussions. True leadership means proactively checking in, not waiting for problems to surface. It also means holding managers accountable—not just for results, but for how they engage, coach, and develop their teams. When leaders are genuinely committed to growing their people, staying becomes the courageous and rewarding choice.
