181: 9 Reasons Good Employees Quit (And How Great Managers Stop It) | Damon Lembi

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.

In this episode, 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)

Timestamps:

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

Resources & Mentions:

• Damon’s book: The Learn-It-All Leader
• https://www.amazon.com/Learn-All-Leader-Mindset-Traits/dp/1544541651
• Learnit course: Delegate to Scale Your Impact
• https://www.learnit.com/courses/delegate-to-scale-your-impact
• The Freedom Compass by Michael Hyatt
• https://fullfocus.co/the-undervalued-zone-of-the-freedom-compass/
• Gallup: Why Your Boss Is the Reason People Quit
• OC Tanner Study on Recognition and Retention
• Pew Research: Reasons Americans Quit Their Jobs in 2021
• LinkedIn Learning: 94% Would Stay Longer with Learning Opportunities

Connect With Us

• Uplevel yourself and your team at Learnit.com
• Email us: podcast@learnit.com
• Follow Damon on LinkedIn
• Follow Damon on Instagram