5 reasons why untrained leaders drive out top performers

Bad leadership is like a slow leak in a tire. You may not notice it at first but if it goes unchecked, it’ll eventually cause more damage. 

There’s no shortage of data showing how poor management drives out top talent. Managers are responsible for at least 70% of the differences in employee engagement between business units, and companies get it wrong 82% of the time when selecting the right person for the job, according to Gallup. 

When managers are promoted too soon or lack proper training, the effects ripple through the entire team. Poor leadership weakens trust, stifles creativity, reduces productivity, and causes your top talent to seek other opportunities.

But why is this happening?

Let’s break down the top reasons why untrained leaders are pushing top performers out the door and what companies can do to fix it.

1. Non-inclusive leadership causes top performers to feel overlooked and excluded

When leaders fail to foster an inclusive environment, they often favor employees who fit a certain mold. High performers, especially those from historically excluded groups, start to feel undervalued and seek growth opportunities elsewhere.

Favoritism also kills morale. When leaders consistently reward their favorites with high-visibility projects, other talented individuals feel stuck and unrecognized.

💡 Solution: Train leaders to celebrate diverse talent and check their biases. Inclusive leadership training can help managers value different perspectives and ensure that opportunities are distributed equitably, preventing the cycle of rewarding the same people repeatedly.

2. When leaders miss signs of burnout, employees become more disengaged

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight, it builds up. But when your leaders lack empathy and proper education to build emotional intelligence, they miss the warning signs. They don’t recognize when top performers are drowning under pressure and they fail to support them when it’s needed most. 

As a result, employees feel unseen, overworked, and undervalued.

💡Solution: Incorporating empathy and emotional intelligence training can help managers notice stressors, provide support, and create a safe environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up.

3. Leaders aren’t trained to be mentors, which leaves high-performing employees feeling unsupported 

Micromanagement kills motivation. Top performers want to stretch their skills, not be nitpicked on every task. When leaders focus only on outputs and fail to provide growth opportunities, mentorship, or strategic guidance, those employees start to feel stagnant.

💡Solution: Train managers to move from task-givers to talent developers. Give them the tools to provide mentorship, offer meaningful feedback, and connect employees with career-building opportunities.

4. A lack of psychological safety suppresses innovation and risk-taking

If leaders don’t foster psychological safety, where people feel comfortable taking risks and suggesting new ideas, high performers will feel stifled. Without the freedom to innovate or fail safely, talented individuals start looking for more progressive workplaces.

💡Solution: Leadership training should emphasize psychological safety. Teach managers to encourage diverse perspectives, reward risk-taking, and view failures as learning opportunities rather than mistakes.

5. Poor conflict management leads to toxic team dynamics

When leaders are untrained, they either ignore conflict or make things worse by blaming the wrong people. 

For top performers who are often the most invested in the success of a project, toxic environments are unbearable. They won’t stick around to see how it plays out – they’ll move on to a company that takes conflict management seriously.

💡Solution: Conflict resolution training is key. Leaders should learn to address issues head-on, understand the root causes of tension, and mediate without taking sides.

Transform your culture and retain top talent by investing in your managers

Don’t let ineffective leadership undermine your efforts to create a high-performing work environment. 

Perfeqta’s virtual and in-person leadership training provides managers with the skills to foster inclusivity, emotional intelligence, and innovation. By addressing bias, supporting employee growth, and enhancing conflict resolution, we help leaders create a culture where every individual feels valued and engaged.

📩Get in touch with our team to learn more about our training sessions.