(And How to Spot the Warning Signs Before It’s Too Late)
When a company is growing fast, people don’t always stay. Your success, which may be unexpected in some ways is getting ahead of you and your team.
Even great companies lose great people. But why?
Turnover is often blamed on money or poor hiring, but the research tells us:
People most often leave when they feel overwhelmed, undervalued, or unclear about their future.
Let’s explore the five most common causes, backed by evidence and translated into what leaders can actually do about them.
“My job isn’t what I signed up for.”
As companies grow, roles expand or shift—but without clarity, people get lost.
Studies show task clarity is a key driver of job satisfaction.
✅ Fix it: Revisit job scopes quarterly. Use role clarity tools like RACI or job crafting maps to give people agency over changing roles.
“I can’t keep this up.”
High-growth environments often mean high pressure. According to the Job Demands-Resources model turnover increases when demands outstrip support.
✅ Fix it: Balance demands with resources, think feedback, autonomy, rest, training. Burnout is often preventable with small culture shifts and people are resilient and creative when supported well
“Where am I going here?”
Research shows that career development opportunities significantly impact retention (e.g., Kim & Park, 2014, HRM Journal). If there’s no visible future, top performers look elsewhere.
✅ Fix it: Show growth pathways, even informal ones. Mentorship, stretch projects, and visible “next steps” matter more than titles alone.
“I don’t feel safe to speak up or challenge decisions.” There is an unspoken psychological contract and it can be very powerful in both directions
Amy Edmondson’s research on psychological safety (1999, 2018) shows that high-performing teams feel safe to take interpersonal risks. Without that, frustration grows in silence, and people disengage.
✅ Fix it: Build norms that reward curiosity, dissent, and learning, not just performance. Psychological safety is built, not assumed.
“All decisions still go through the top.”
When growing companies rely too heavily on the founder or leadership, people feel distrusted or redundant. Research on autonomy (Deci & Ryan, 2000) shows it’s crucial for motivation.
✅ Fix it: Delegate with clarity and confidence. Use frameworks like David Marquet’s Intent-Based Leadership to push decision-making downward.
Cause |Core Feeling |What to Watch
Job drift | Confusion | “I don’t know what I own anymore.”
Overload | Burnout | “This is unsustainable.”
No path | Stagnation | “There’s nowhere to grow.”
Unsafe culture | Fear | “It’s not worth speaking up.”
Control culture | Distrust | "I don’t get to lead.”
And here is one that I found personally:
Endless Change in M&A | Invisibility | "I am not being seen for what I do."
If your company is growing fast, that’s good for so many reasons. Growth can cover up many failings.
However, if people are leaving, you’re paying a hidden tax that may be very costly.
You don’t need big budgets to fix this. You need clarity, support systems, and leadership that grows with the business. Let sue the EASE FrameworkTM
Together we can Explore, Align, Support and Empower to retain and energise your team
You may need only a few simple Course Corrections to maintain heading and growth.
Lets EASE things
Let’s identify your hidden flight risks, and how to keep your best people on board.