1. Set a High Bar and Enforce It Fairly
Top performers want to be on a team where excellence is the standard, not the exception. When leaders let poor performance slide, it creates resentment. Your best people feel like their efforts are being wasted-or worse, that they’re being taken for granted.
What to do:
- Be clear about expectations and performance standards for everyone.
- Address underperformance promptly and constructively.
- Celebrate wins, but also call out repeated issues honestly and professionally.
2. Recognize and Reward the Right Behavior
Recognition is a powerful motivator, especially when it’s meaningful and aligned with values. But if you recognize people just for showing up or playing politics while the true contributors are ignored, it sends the wrong message.
What to do:
- Publicly acknowledge excellent work and initiative.
- Tailor rewards to individual motivators (some value public praise, others prefer time off or growth opportunities).
- Build a culture where great work is not just expected, but appreciated.
3. Give Autonomy-With Accountability
High performers thrive when they’re trusted. Micromanagement signals a lack of confidence. But so does ignoring problems. The trick is finding a balance: give your team room to operate while staying engaged and available.
What to do:
- Let employees own their projects, but set clear checkpoints.
- Encourage experimentation, and treat mistakes as learning opportunities.
- Offer feedback that’s specific, timely, and focused on growth.
4. Don’t Let the Wrong People Stay Too Long
This one is tough, but necessary. If someone consistently underperforms, undermines the culture, or brings down team morale, you owe it to the rest of the team to act.
What to do:
- Document behavior and provide opportunities to improve.
- Have honest, direct conversations rather than avoiding conflict.
- If necessary, make the difficult decision to part ways, with respect, but also with firmness.
Your best employees notice when you don’t act. And they might not say anything, they’ll just quietly disengage, or worse, leave.
5. Invest in Growth
One of the fastest ways to lose a great employee is to stop helping them grow. Top talent craves challenges, learning, and new opportunities. If they feel stuck, they’ll look elsewhere.
What to do:
- Provide training, mentorship, and stretch projects.
- Help employees set career goals and support them in reaching them.
- Offer regular feedback and a clear path for advancement.
6. Foster a Culture of Mutual Respect and Teamwork
People don’t leave jobs-they leave cultures. If your team feels more like a battlefield than a collaboration, even your best and most resilient employees will burn out. Culture is built by what you tolerate and what you promote.
What to do:
- Encourage open communication and psychological safety.
- Promote teamwork over individual heroics.
- Shut down toxic behavior quickly and consistently.
Your top employees are watching how you lead. They notice when others aren’t pulling their weight. They notice when problems fester. And while they might not complain, their motivation takes a hit every time bad behavior goes unchecked.
Yes, managing a team takes courage and emotional intelligence. But the cost of not acting is far higher than a tough conversation or a personnel change.
Create a culture where excellence is expected, effort is recognized, and poor behavior is not tolerated-and you’ll not only retain your best people, you’ll bring out their best work too.
