I was talking with an organizational leader recently. During our conversation we discussed why people leave a company. This leader suggested the desire to leave could be a symptom of something else.
Before going any further allow me to suggest examining your response when a team member wants to leave. Do your people feel comfortable to let you know they are looking? This leader wants his people to feel comfortable so he can help them in any way possible. Also, this gives him an opportunity to explore why they want to leave. Below I am going to highlight a few reasons people may want to move on.
Growth
Each organization is structured uniquely and employees have various tenures. A team member may come ready to leave and after some questioning you may realize they feel stuck. For example, if you are in a young and flat organization with a founder/CEO and technicians, this individual may feel there is no room for growth. The roles are either worker or owner. This can also be true in a department in a larger organization. There are no steps for growth.
As the leader you have at least a couple options. First, would it serve your organization and the individual well if you created a structure with an opportunity for a next step? Some form of leadership role that serves both the individual and the organization. Another option is to help this person move into a more challenging/leadership role in another area of the organization or at another company. Either way, be the leader who helps him or her succeed and grow.
Glass Ceiling
This idea can be explored in multiple ways, but one primary way an individual may experience a glass ceiling is by not having opportunities. This individual may have reached his or her capacity within the organization and there is no next step. The next step may not open for years, or he or she is not qualified and needs to grow in some way. 
This is not the “political” glass ceiling based on circumstances out of the individual’s control. Leaders can help the individual facing this ceiling by discussing how he or she could break through either at your organization or somewhere else. Hopefully this is an opportunity for candid conversation to help the individual realize blind spots and opportunities for growth. On occasion the ceiling may be harder than glass if people above are going to remain. The leader should encourage and support the desire to leave in this situation.
The Leader
This is the harsh reality as a leader you may not want to hear. You may be the reason they want to leave. How you lead, a personal issue, or several other reasons may create the desire for this individual to leave. If you are the reason, I encourage you to create space for a candid conversation to learn what you do not realize about your leadership.
My friend, we all have blind spots and when team members leave because of us we need to embrace the feedback as a blessing. An opportunity to learn, grow and develop to prevent this from being the reason in the future. How to handle that feedback . . . that is a blog for another day.
How are you at creating an environment for your team that they feel free to come to you? Ask them and adjust how you lead so they know you will support them and help them succeed. Ultimately if we lead others as we would like to be led, with compassion and care then both of us will be successful even when things end. Lead Well.
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