We’ve heard about numerous studies of employees quitting because of their bosses. And we’ve probably seen a fair number of occurrences first-hand.

Why employees move on from the “devil they know” to the “devil they don’t know” can be due to lack of trust, poor communication, being overworked, feeling underappreciated, and more.

With employee retention being a bigger challenge today than ever, leaders have to pay even more attention to the little things. What habit of yours might make the next employee quit?

Maybe you don’t recognize those bad habits that drive employees crazy. You might even be slowly becoming the “new devil.”

Leadership Tip
Identify and drop at least one of your bad habits by the end of the month. Repeat as necessary.

Don’t deny it! We all have bad habits. Here are a few questions to pinpoint them:

Do you interrupt others when they’re talking?
Do you take days to return an email or a phone call because you don’t think it’s that important?
Do you check your personal email while at work?
Do you use inappropriate language or annoying buzz words?
Do you ask for feedback, get it, then do nothing about it?
Do you play favorites but don’t believe you’re doing it?
Do you let someone else make the next pot of coffee in the lunchroom?

Great leaders constantly look for ways to improve themselves personally and professionally. Making a continuous effort to be more self-aware and dropping your bad habits are large parts of the leadership journey.

By eliminating habits that annoy others, you’re taking important steps toward becoming a better leader. Start today.