How to Be the Kind of Leader People Want to Stay For

"People don't leave bad companies, they leave bad managers." — Marcus Buckingham

This line, recently shared in a powerful article by Simon Phillips from The Change Maker Group, sparked reflection on a deeper leadership truth. Simon breaks down four key areas that drive top performers to leave: Listening, Accountability, Collaboration, and Empathy. His article challenges leaders to pause and ask: Are we really creating the kind of environment people want to grow in?

People Stay Because of their Managers

It's exactly the kind of leaders we help create through our work at PPL Coach — leaders who people want to stay and grow with.

So here is our guidance to complement Simon's insights, through the lens of the 6C's of the Collaborative Leadership Navigator — the foundational practices of Collaborative Leadership:

Get Curious

Think you know why people stay or leave? Embrace adaptive curiosity over certainty.

Ask your direct reports questions like:

• "What really matters to you about your work?"

• "What part of your role energizes you? What drains you?"

This opens space for deeper insight beyond assumptions.

Create Connection

Meaning matters. Help people see their contributions in the broader purpose of the work. Acknowledge what they bring — not just what they deliver.

Try this: 

• Appreciate someone's unique contribution and connect their work to something bigger.

This builds belonging and reinforces why they show up each day.

Collaborate on Culture

From assumptions to co-creation. Rather than guessing what your team wants, co-create the future with them.

Ask this:

• "What would make this the kind of place you’d recommend to a friend?"

This builds ownership, engagement, and real momentum.

Stay Composed

Listening takes space. True listening requires Composure — the ability to stay present, centered, and unreactive. Be there to listen, not to solve.

Practice this: 

• Pause. Breathe. Listen with presence, not persuasion.

More often than not, people want nothing more than to feel seen, heard, and supported.

Be Committed to Growth

Support growth, even when it means letting go. While we never want your best people to leave, empowering leaders don't hoard talent. They invest in it — and release it when needed.

Ask this:

• "Am I holding onto someone selfishly when they could flourish elsewhere?"

Commitment to growth means supporting others, even when it’s hard.

Zoom out for clarity

From habit to intention. Simon challenges leaders to ask how they might be driving talent away. Clarity means stepping back and asking tough questions.

Ask this:

• "What am I doing that might encourage my best people to stay — or to leave?"

With clarity, your actions align with intention.

Simon’s article offers a thoughtful wake-up call. And change doesn’t require an overhaul — it starts with asking one better question, one braver reflection, one more human moment.

Pick one of the 6Cs to focus on. Use it as a lens to show up with more presence and purpose.

Because people don’t stay for perks.

They stay because they feel seen, heard, and empowered.

Be the Kind of Leader People Want to Stay For