Why can’t we do better?

I partner with executives all the time, and I’m frequently taken aback by the stories I hear about poor management and bad leadership. It’s a chronic problem.

According to BambooHR’s 2025 study, 90% of employees said their boss influenced their decision to leave the company, and 58% cited management style as the primary reason they quit. While research highlighted in TIME Magazine noted that 82% of managers lack the talent needed to effectively lead people.

Worth the share

What makes a good leader? This straightforward article from SmartBrief on Leadership, titled “Hidden Behaviors That Shape How Colleagues and Managers See You,” provides a clear list of what we should do more of.

It focuses a lot on how we show up when we enter a room and engage with others. Sometimes undervalued, these traits are critical. As I often say to my coaching clients, leaders and managers have an outsized influence within any organization and need to constantly be aware of how they show up, how they treat others, and how they engage with everyone.

Think about…

Are You Present with the person you are speaking with? Do you tune in and listen to what they are saying>
What Is Your Body Language Saying about you in the moment? Are you confident, personable, and relaxed under pressure?
How Do You Treat Others when they are not in the room? Is what you constructive or unkind and inappropriate?
Are You All About Work? Do you take the time to connect with others? Are you accessible?
Are You Consistent? Do your words match your actions? Are you reliable? Can they count on you?
Do You Ask Questions? Are you curious? Do you take others’ ideas seriously?
How Do You Deal With Feedback, both giving and receiving feedback? Are you building a culture where honest feedback is valued and expected?

I would also add:

Are you Authentic? Do you value your employees? Are you intentional about your own professional development? Do you take time to reflect?

Being a manager and a leader of people is a privilege. I challenge all of us to do better.

To get more information, read Hidden Behaviors That Shape How Colleagues and Managers See You.

#wisewords

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”

–Vince Lombardi

And Finally...

When I was a little kid, I remember seeing the poster titled “All I Ever Needed to Learn, I Learned in Kindergarten” on the wall of my pediatrician’s office. Originally written by Robert Fulghum in 1986, it struck me then and now as a practical piece of advice with rules to live by. My favorites are “Say you’re sorry when you hurt someone”, “Live a balanced life”, “Be aware of wonder”, and “Hold hands and stick together”. It is the little things that matter to all of us.

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Have a great week,

Mary Jo