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When people leave their jobs for another they routinely say they’re leaving for a better opportunity or better pay. While those conditions may exist, about 68% leave primarily because of a perceived conflict with an immediate superior. Have a look at my white paper My Boss Is a Jerk for more on that.

In Gallup’s new post, The No. 1 Employee Benefit That No One’s Talking About, they bring this home by linking manager conflict to employee engagement, the measure of how much of oneself an employee is giving to his/her work – their discretionary effort. Indeed, the report tells us, “Managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores.” So, if you want your people to give their best, then make sure they have a great manager.* Said another way, it’s your job to ensure that your leaders have the skills and training to bring out your peoples’ best. Of course, that includes your leadership, too.

A second Gallup piece describes the big umbrella under which this manager issue and many others fall: culture. It is the sum total of all we do, say and be in the workplace and the best companies are both clear and intentional in creating a culture of exceptionalism. Read their report and decide how you can use this information in your shop.

* You already know that there is a stark difference between  manager and leader. It’s perfectly defined by the message delivered to undergraduates at our military academies: Manage things; lead people. I’ve adopted that as Fully Alive Leadership Practice #1. So, while I’ve accepted Gallup’s terminology here, both they and I are really talking about leaders and leadership.

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