181: 9 Reasons Good Employees Quit (And How Great Managers Stop It) | Damon Lembi
Release Date:
June 20, 2025
Release Date: June 18
You don’t lose great people overnight—it happens slowly, then all at once.
In this solo episode, Damon Lembi gets real about the 9 most common reasons high performers quit—and what you can do today to retain them. From bad bosses and burnout to compensation, culture, and career stagnation, Damon shares hard-earned lessons from decades of building (and rebuilding) teams at Learnit.
If you’re a current or aspiring manager, this episode is your playbook for retention, engagement, and trust.
What You’ll Learn:
9 of the most common reasons top performers leave
Why overloading your best people backfires
How bad bosses drive silent attrition
Why investing in growth and development keeps people loyal
The "VIP curse" and how it leads to burnout
What happens when culture rewards underperformance
Why promoting great individual contributors can go wrong
How to create flexibility without losing performance
The power of stretch projects, team building, and autonomy
What Damon offers to every listener (hint: it's generous)
In This Episode:
00:00 – Why top talent leaves: the real reasons
00:35 – Reason 1: Bad bosses and broken trust
01:00 – Reason 2: Lack of appreciation and recognition
01:30 – Reason 3: Burnout and the VIP curse
02:00 – Reason 4: No growth or advancement path
02:30 – Reason 5: No investment in professional development
03:00 – Reason 6: Toxic or unchallenging team cultures
03:30 – Reason 7: Misaligned promotions (ICs into managers)
04:00 – Reason 8: Lack of flexibility and autonomy
04:30 – Reason 9: Compensation and pay inequity
05:00 – What to do: Invest in growth and give them ownership
06:00 – Be flexible: one-size-fits-all doesn’t work
06:30 – Find their passion, and play to strengths
07:00 – Team building and connection matter more than ever
07:30 – Retention bonuses (and when to use them)
08:00 – Final reflection: High performers want purpose, trust, growth
08:30 – Damon’s giveaway: Free book and 60 days of team training
