A manager's highest duty is to an employee's fulfillment, not just their performance. When a top performer is not personally aligned with their role, a leader should actively help them find a better fit—even if it means using their own social capital to place them at another organization.
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Due to demographic shifts and a post-pandemic re-evaluation of work, employees now hold more power. This requires a fundamental leadership mindset shift: from managing people and processes to enabling their success. High turnover and disengagement are no longer employee problems but leadership failures. A leader's success now depends entirely on the success of their team, meaning 'you work for them'.
Employees who strictly adhere to their job description are likely to remain in the same role for years. Going above and beyond, such as cleaning a boss's station to simply be in their orbit, builds a reputation and relationships that lead to unexpected opportunities.
For leaders who are natural empaths, a key growth area is learning to separate deep personal care for team members from the objective needs of the business. This includes recognizing that letting someone go can be the most loving and correct decision for the individual, the team, and the company.
To motivate and retain employees, especially in a challenging market, leaders must shift their perspective from 'they work for me' to 'I work for them.' This servant-leadership approach involves genuinely caring about your team's well-being and success, which fosters loyalty and improves performance.
Terminating an employee shouldn't be viewed solely as a negative outcome. Often, a lack of success is due to a mismatch in chemistry, timing, or culture. Parting ways can be a necessary catalyst that enables the individual to find a different environment where their skills allow them to thrive, benefiting both parties in the long run.
To clarify difficult talent decisions, ask yourself: "Would I enthusiastically rehire this person for this same role today?" This binary question, used at Stripe, bypasses emotional ambiguity and provides a clear signal. A "no" doesn't mean immediate termination, but it mandates that some corrective action must be taken.
When confronting a high-performing but abrasive employee, don't just criticize. Frame the conversation around their career. Offer a choice: remain a great individual contributor, or learn the interpersonal skills needed for a broader leadership role, with your help.
Firing someone feels adversarial until you reframe it as a win-win. The employee wants to be successful and valued; if your team isn't the right place for that, helping them move on is a service to their career, not a disservice. This mindset changes the entire dynamic.
Employee retention now requires a customized approach beyond generic financial incentives. Effective managers must identify whether an individual is driven by work-life balance, ego-gratifying titles, or money, and then transparently tailor their role and its associated trade-offs to that primary motivator.
Employees often feel frustrated when their manager doesn't make their job more interesting or proactively manage their career path. This is a flawed expectation. A manager's primary role is to ensure performance in the current job; you are the sole owner of your long-term career navigation and growth.