I recently read an article titled “It’s Always About the Boss” that was published in Gallup’s Management Journal.

Always?  Really?

I know.  I know.  You’ve heard it before – and probably even said it – “People don’t leave their companies, they leave their managers.”  But research just doesn’t back that up.  It is not always the boss.

Just to be clear – I’m not saying that the boss isn’t important to building engagement and retaining employees.  I agree that an immediate manager has a huge impact on employee engagement, productivity, and retention.  Most of us can probably name a favorite boss that inspired us to go beyond what we thought we could do.  And a bad boss can definitely drive an employee away.  But for most employees, a good boss cannot make up for other more fundamental elements of the employment equation.

For example, Questar recently asked more than 1000 employees across industries and companies about their employer – their work, boss, coworkers, recognition, and career growth opportunities, as well as senior leadership, climate for service, and individual alignment with company values.  Among employees who were actively looking for another job, 60% reported that their manager was not very effective.  Clearly the boss is important.  So what was even more important?  Believe it or not – trust in senior leadership.  Among those same employees who were looking for another job, an even greater number (68%) said they do not trust senior leadership for their current employer.

And it seems to be a trend.  For many of our clients, attitudes about the boss have taken a back seat to trust in senior leadership and alignment with company values in driving important outcomes such as employee engagement and commitment.  It’s not that the boss is no longer important.  But in these times of constant reorganization, mergers, bailouts, and bankruptcies, maybe employees are more likely to look beyond their immediate boss – to think about how their own future may be linked to the future of the organization that employs them.

Anna Erickson Ph. D. | Director, Consulting Services