The transformation has been underway for a year. The strategy is in place, the first successes are visible. Then the news: your strongest division head has resigned. Two weeks later, the head of product development follows. Both were pillars of support. Both are going to competitors.
High performers have options. They can leave, anytime. And they don’t leave despite the transformation. They often leave because of how it’s managed. Especially during phases when you need your best people most urgently, the risk of losing them is highest.
A board I advised lost its three strongest division heads within three months. All three had sent signals beforehand. All three had sought discussions. None of these discussions had taken place. As the resignations came, the board was surprised. The division heads were not.
It would be simpler if the low performers resigned first. The opposite is true. And this has structural reasons, which organizational psychologist Frederick Herzberg already described in his studies on job satisfaction: hygiene factors like salary prevent dissatisfaction, but do not create motivation. True motivation arises from effectiveness, recognition, and responsibility. These are precisely the factors that come under pressure first in transformations.
High performers have alternatives. The job market for top talent functions differently than for the average. Headhunters call regularly. Networks open doors. Those who are good don’t have to read job advertisements. Offers come to them. These options significantly lower their tolerance for frustration.
High performers have higher expectations. They expect clarity, purpose, and effectiveness. They want to create, not just administer. If a transformation is stifled by bureaucracy, if decisions are not made, if political games become more important than results, they lose patience faster than others.
High performers sense problems earlier. They see the contradictions between announcements and reality. They notice when the strategy isn’t landing. They recognize dysfunctional dynamics before they become obvious. This early recognition can lead to an early departure.
High performers have more to lose. Their reputation is tied to success. If they sense that an endeavor will fail, they don’t want to be there when it happens. Jumping ship before the crash is a rational decision.
The resignation of a high performer is rarely a sudden event. It is the end of a process that began months earlier.
When a high performer resigns, it’s usually too late. The decision has been made, the new contract often already signed. The art lies in recognizing the signals earlier.
| What you observe | What it means |
|---|---|
| Withdrawal from discussions, no more uncomfortable questions | Those who stop fighting have often already resigned internally |
| Decreasing frustration tolerance, annoyance over minor issues | The buffer is exhausted, not pettiness |
| Only short-term projects, no long-term initiatives | Those who don’t believe in their own future no longer invest long-term |
| Distance from colleagues, fewer informal conversations | Emotional detachment has begun |
| Accumulation of doctor’s appointments and days off | Job interviews take time |
A division head told me after her resignation: “For three months, in every jour fixe, I waited for my boss to ask how I was doing. He never asked. He talked about milestones, about budgets, about timelines. But never about me.” This is not an isolated case. This is a pattern.
The obvious answer is money. The correct answer is more complex.
Effectiveness. High performers want to achieve results. They want to see that their work makes a difference. If decisions are endlessly delayed, if projects fizzle out, if good work gets lost in bureaucracy, what they get up for in the morning is missing. High performers hate nothing more than meaningless busywork. Eliminate unnecessary reports, superfluous coordination rounds, and meetings without results.
Clarity. Where is the journey heading? What is my role in it? What expectations are there of me? High performers need orientation. Not micromanagement, but clear guardrails. Uncertainty is harder for them to bear than for others.
Trust. They want to take responsibility and be able to make decisions. Control systems designed for the average person feel like distrust to them. Those who don’t trust their best people will lose them.
Development. Not necessarily the next promotion. But new challenges, learning opportunities, growth. High performers who feel they are treading water will look for new playing fields.
Belonging to something bigger. They want to be part of something meaningful. A vision that carries them. A team that sticks together. Leadership they can trust. If that’s missing, money is just a hygiene factor.
High performers rarely leave companies. They leave managers and situations where they cannot be effective.
There’s no guarantee of retaining every high performer. But three levers significantly increase the probability.
Conduct stay interviews, not just exit interviews. Don’t wait until someone resigns to ask what went wrong. Conduct regular stay interviews: open conversations about satisfaction, frustration, and plans. Ask: “What would make you leave?” and “What would need to happen for you to stay?” The answers are more valuable than any engagement survey. And act on the first signals. If you notice withdrawal, immediately seek a conversation. The sooner you react, the greater the chance of stopping the process.
Create effectiveness and involve them. Remove obstacles. Ensure decisions are made. Give your best people the resources and freedom they need. In transformations, high performers don’t just want to implement; they want to co-create. Ask for their assessment. Take their concerns seriously. When things get difficult, be honest. High performers value honesty more than sugarcoating. They can deal with problems, but not with the feeling of being lied to.
Invest in relationships and perspective. Do you know your high performers as people? Do you know what drives them, what burdens them, where they want to go? Relationships are the strongest anchor. Communicate the perspective: What comes after the transformation? What role will your best people play in the future? If these questions remain unanswered, people will paint their own answers, and they are rarely positive. Create islands of stability: a team that works, a project that makes sense, a manager you can rely on. And acknowledge limits. “I know this is a lot right now” is sometimes more important than a solution.
One point is often overlooked: Let your best people move, within the company. Managers often block their strongest people because they consider them irreplaceable in their current role. The result is paradoxical. Those who cannot change internally will change externally. Promote career steps, even if it weakens you in the short term. Better a high performer in a neighboring division than none at all in the company.
Not every high performer should be retained at any cost. Sometimes, leaving is the right decision for both sides.
People evolve, companies evolve. Sometimes the directions no longer align. A high performer who cannot or will not support the new direction becomes a problem. Performance alone is not enough if values no longer match. And if retaining an individual burdens the team, if special rules arise that demotivate others, the costs outweigh the benefits.
Letting go well is not a defeat. It is the recognition that not every path must be walked together to the end. If someone leaves, do it right: with appreciation, with an open conclusion, without burning bridges. Former high performers are ambassadors, for better or worse.
Take ten minutes and think about your three most important key players. For each person, answer three questions:
First: When was the last time you had a real conversation about satisfaction and perspective, not about projects and deadlines?
Second: Do you know what frustrates this person, what keeps them, and whether they can be effective in their role?
Third: Would you notice if they had already resigned internally?
If you hesitate on any of these three questions, you have your next appointment.
Losing high performers is painful. But the real pain is not in the departure itself. It lies in the realization that it often could have been avoided. Most high performers don’t leave for better offers. They leave because they feel they can no longer be effective. Because they have lost trust in leadership. Because they no longer want to be part of something they no longer believe in.
The managers who retain their best people are not those with the highest salaries. They are those who listen, who enable effectiveness, and who nurture relationships, even and especially when things get difficult. Look at your calendar this week: Is there a conversation scheduled with one of your key players that isn’t about a project topic? If not, schedule it now.
Transformation Fatigue – When the organization is exhausted, the best leave first. Fatigue and fluctuation are directly related.
Feedback that Lands – Stay interviews only work if you can give and receive difficult feedback.
All Insights can be found in the overview.
Proven tools and models for self-application are available under Solutions.
If you want to take these thoughts further for your company, a no-obligation initial conversation is worthwhile.
