How do you know if your top performers are about to quit? You watch for the five signals — and you fix the management pattern that's pushing them out. Gallup's Q4 2025 data found 51% of U.S. workers are either actively looking or watching for opportunities — the highest since 2015. Most leaders assume it's their underperformers in motion. It's not. It's their A-players. And by the time you get the resignation letter, the decision was made months ago.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the underperformers stay and the A-players leave — and what the math really costs you
• The 5 signals on your top performers you've been missing for months
• The real reason A-players quit (research is unambiguous — and it's almost never money)
• The 80/5 management trap that quietly bankrupts your best relationships
• The four moves to start this week, including the Stay Conversation most managers never run

Your A-player isn't leaving the company. They're leaving you. Stop the cascade before it starts.

The 5 Signals Your A-Player Is Already Looking (Colby Morris)

The behavioral signals to watch for on your top performers — months before the resignation letter:

1. They stopped pushing back on you
2. The work is still good, but the energy is gone
3. They stopped asking about what's next
4. They're suddenly more available, not less
5. They stopped fighting for their people

The Stay Conversation (Colby Morris)

A quarterly, deliberate conversation with your A-players built around three questions:

1. What would make you want to leave?
2. What's keeping you here?
3. What would change your mind about something we're doing?

Most managers never ask. Most A-players never get to answer until they're walking out the door.

When to apply this guidance:

• You manage at least one A-player you'd consider hard to replace
• You haven't had a deliberate retention conversation with your top performers in the last six months
• You suspect one of your best people has been quietly disengaging — but their output looks fine
• Your management calendar is dominated by your bottom 20% while your top 20% gets the leftovers
• You've been "blindsided" by a resignation before and never want to repeat it

Research referenced in this episode:

• Gallup, Q4 2025 U.S. Workforce Study: 51% of U.S. employees are either actively looking for a new job (11%) or watching for opportunities (40%) — the highest job-seeking rate since Gallup began tracking in 2015
• Gallup, 2021 Engagement Research: Even among engaged employees, 30% are still looking for new opportunities
• Gallup, State of the Global Workplace: 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined by the manager — not pay, not the company
• Multiple workforce studies (McKinsey, SHRM, Harvard): Top performers are approximately 4x more productive than average performers
• 2024 retention research: 94% of employees say they would stay longer at a company that invests in their learning and development

Related episodes:

• One-on-One Meetings That Work: Build Trust, Track Goals, and Transform Your Team
• When to Address Underperformance (Part 1 of 2)
• How to Hold Someone Accountable Without Micromanaging
• Performance Issue or Hiring Mistake? Make the Call

Connect with Colby Morris:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colbymorris

Website: nxtstepadvisors.com

About The Things Leaders Do:

The Things Leaders Do is a weekly leadership podcast hosted by Colby Morris, Founder of NXT Step Advisors. The show delivers practical, immediately actionable leadership tools for middle managers and senior leaders navigating real workplace challenges. No corporate jargon, no theory you can't use — just real guidance you can implement before your next one-on-one. New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com