You Don’t Have a Talent Problem — You Have a Leadership One
Why great people join, stay, or leave, and what leaders can actually do about it.
Companies are quick to say “our people are our greatest asset.” But if you’re losing great people, or struggling to bring them in, that’s not a talent problem, it’s a leadership one.
The market is tough, yes, but too often organisations respond to talent pressure with surface-level fixes. Job specs get rewritten, benefit packages refreshed and employer branding polished, but none of that tackles the one thing that truly drives attraction, engagement, and retention: how people are led.
The truth is, people join companies because they believe in the opportunity.
They stay when they feel valued, trusted, and supported, and they leave when leadership falls short of those expectations.
Right now, many organisations are grappling with a collision of expectations. It is not uncommon for us to hear from leadership teams that new joiners are clear: finishing at 5pm and taking a full lunch break isn’t negotiable. That’s not a lack of commitment, it’s a generational shift. Where one group saw staying late as a sign of loyalty, another sees boundaries as a form of respect. Both are valid but they demand different approaches from leadership.
Hybrid working has brought even more complexity. It’s been a win for flexibility, no doubt, but it’s also quietly eroding visibility and development. Fewer side conversations, less observational learning and we’re only just starting to see how that will impact succession planning, mentoring, and career progression in the years ahead.
And then there’s the process trap. Particularly in larger organisations, rigid recruitment policies often get in the way of common sense. You might have someone who’s been preparing for a role over years but when the job opens, the rules say you have to go external. That’s how you lose talent, momentum, and morale in one go.
The solution isn’t always a new hire.
What’s missing isn’t always more candidates, it’s better decisions, braver calls, and a willingness to trust the people already in your world.
At Amicus, we help organisations close the gap — aligning leadership behaviours with what their people actually need to thrive. That might mean rethinking how you lead in a hybrid world or preparing managers to lead across generations. It could involve removing the invisible barriers that stop you backing the person who’s ready — the one who’s been demonstrating their commitment and capability for months, even years.
When leaders show up well, talent stays, and when leadership gets it right, talent isn't your problem — it's your advantage.