Managers - The Root of Employee Retention

Cathie Leimbach • June 28, 2022

Yes, it’s the manager who has the most impact on employee retention! 

Employees control only 30% of the factors that contribute to workplace engagement and retention. It’s the manager who controls the other 70%. Gallup’s book, It’s the Manager, introduces 52 insights into workplace realities that inform leadership practices which impact employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention. This article provides a high level look at why leveraging manager effectiveness is the best way to increase productivity and the organization’s bottom line.

For nearly a century the American dream was to have law and order, food and shelter. Once these were satisfied, people wanted to have a family, own a home, and live in peace. Now, in America and globally, the highest priority dream is to have a good job.  According to Gallup’s research, the most important contributor to the ‘best life imaginable’ – especially for young people and women – is to have a great job with a living wage and a manager or team leader who encourages your development. 

Unfortunately, only 15% of the global workforce reports having a great job. The reality that 85% are either just going through the motions or they hate their job has a negative impact on health, quality of life, organizational results, and the economy.   

Imagine the impact of increasing employee engagement to 50% of the workforce! How different individuals’ lives and our communities would be! But how can that possibly be done?

In the past 30 years workplace study after study has identified the factors that impact employee engagement. The biggest impact is how managers lead their people. Remember, managers control 70% of the variance in team engagement. Effective leadership practices have been identified, but few managers know about them. And even fewer put them into practice. 

Are your team members crystal clear everyday about what you want them to achieve? How often do you praise them for the things they are doing well? How encouraging and supportive are you when they need to improve their workplace performance? How skilled are you in these aspects of leading people?

What can you do to engage your employees for everyone’s benefit? If you would like to become a more effective leader at work, email me, Cathie Leimbach, asking for further information about developing highly effective people leadership skills. When you lead your team members well, they will become enthusiastic high performers. Don’t you want to experience this in your workplace? What difference would it make to your life?

The Futility of Leadership Perfection

By Cathie Leimbach • May 26, 2026
Many leaders quietly carry the pressure that they are supposed to have every answer. Be decisive. Stay strong. Never show uncertainty. Keep pushing forward no matter what. The problem is that approach often creates distance inside organizations instead of trust. In The Imperfect CEO , which was released on May 19, Jim Brown challenges the idea that leadership effectiveness comes from appearing flawless. Instead, he makes the case that healthy organizations are built by leaders willing to lead with clarity, humility, accountability, and honesty. Larry Siff, CEO of Neptune Advisors and C-Level Community, shared this perspective: “In The Imperfect CEO , Jim Brown doesn’t shy away from the messy reality of being a real person in charge, yet he shows how that honesty becomes a source of organizational health.” Edna Lopez, former Senior Executive at Gateway and Amway, wrote: “In every organization I've led, one truth has been constant: culture determines whether strategy ever sees daylight. The Imperfect CEO gets to the heart of that reality.” That connection between leadership and culture is exactly why the ideas in this book matter. In Conversational Management, we often see organizations struggle , not because leaders lack intelligence or effort, but because communication patterns quietly create confusion, defensiveness, disengagement, or fear. The healthiest organizations usually are not led by leaders who are aiming for perfection. They are led by leaders who know perfection is elusive. They acknowledge their limitations and the benefits of team collaboration. They humbly create honest conversations, clear expectations, accountability, and trust — even when it feels uncomfortable.  The wait is over for a down-to-earth book that dares to reveal common leadership imperfections and provides support for enhancing leadership impact! The Imperfect CEO is now available!

The Leadership Problem Most Companies Don’t Address

By Cathie Leimbach • May 19, 2026
Many organizations assume their biggest challenges are rapidly changing technology, customer retention, and employee initiative. But quite often, the root cause is people leadership problems. That’s one reason The Imperfect CEO by Jim Brown is so timely. Releasing today, May 19, the book explores how leaders build healthier organizations not by pretending to have all the answers, but by creating cultures grounded in trust, clarity, accountability, and meaningful conversations. Brian Besanceney, Chair, Board of Orlando Health, Inc., described the book this way: “Through vivid stories, real-world examples, and a model grounded in collaborative culture, Jim Brown gives leaders permission to wrestle honestly with the generational divides, misaligned targets, and cultural fractures that can too often sabotage high-potential organizations.” Greg Apple, CEO of Amgine.ai, connected the book to leadership beyond business alone: “In a fast-moving company, culture is everything. Jim Brown’s principles have helped our team lead with greater clarity and alignment. The Imperfect CEO distills those lessons brilliantly. Every leader should read it.” What stands out to me is how closely this book aligns with the principles behind Conversational Management. Healthy cultures are rarely built through policies alone. They are built through the quality of everyday leadership conversations — how expectations are clarified, how accountability is handled, how feedback is delivered, and how trust is strengthened over time. That’s why leadership development cannot stay theoretical. Culture changes conversation by conversation.  The Imperfect CEO is an easy-to-read business fable that illustrates common people leadership challenges and provides suggestions for overcoming them. Order your copy today and start building healthier leadership conversations inside your organization.