Destroying Great Employees

Nothing will destroy a great employee faster than watching you tolerate a bad one. A single bad employee left unchecked becomes a virus that spreads negativity. Their laziness sets a new low bar, and their attitude poisons the culture. Your inaction sends a powerful message: it tells everyone else that excellence doesn’t matter. It says poor attitudes and subpar work will be ignored as long as the person shows up.

One of the fastest ways to lose top talent is not low pay, long hours, or even tough challenges—it’s the frustration of watching management tolerate mediocrity or bad behavior. For top employees, it creates resentment, lowers morale, and makes them wonder why they should give their best.

Allowing one toxic or lazy employee to remain unchecked can quietly destroy the entire workplace. The disengagement spreads, productivity drops, and soon your best people start looking for an exit.

Great employees thrive in environments where fairness and accountability are non-negotiable. Here’s the reality: top performers want to be challenged, recognized, and surrounded by others who push them to be better. They don’t want to carry dead weight. They don’t want to clean up someone else’s mess. And they will not stick around in an environment where mediocrity is rewarded, and accountability is missing. They’ll leave—and they’ll leave fast.

Leaders love to talk about “retention,” but retaining your best people isn’t about free snacks, casual Fridays, or team-building games. It’s about protecting them from the frustration of watching you tolerate someone who shouldn’t even be on the payroll. The moment you tolerate a bad employee, you tell your best people that their effort is wasted.

And when they walk out the door, don’t kid yourself—you didn’t lose them. You pushed them away. I once heard it said, “Great leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and ensuring that impact lasts in your absence.” That will never happen if you accept bad employees. Great companies come from great employees, and great employees come from great leaders.

I have been asked many times, “What do you look for when hiring someone?” My answer is simple: I hire based on attitude. I can teach you everything you need to know to do the job, but I can’t teach attitude. A great leader will nurture that attitude … build upon it … grow it by surrounding people with other talented, motivated individuals—and by NEVER accepting mediocrity from anyone.