Stop Hemorrhaging Top Talent: A Leader's Guide to Modern Employee Retention

Are you tired of watching your best employees walk out the door despite competitive pay and benefits? What if retention actually begins before an employee's first day?

In this enlightening episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, host Damon Lembi explores groundbreaking strategies for attracting and retaining top talent with Mike Harbour, author of Quit Losing Talent. Drawing from his extensive experience as both a headhunter and leadership consultant, Mike shares how traditional onboarding approaches are failing in today's workplace and introduces his STAY framework for creating a culture where employees want to, well, stay. He challenges conventional wisdom about hiring experienced staff and reveals why even top performers can be toxic to your organization's long-term success.

This Episode Covers:

• Why sending a handwritten welcome note to new hires before their start date can dramatically improve retention
• The costly mistake of skipping proper onboarding for experienced new hires, even when they have industry expertise
• How focusing on skills over values in interviews leads to poor hiring decisions and higher turnover
• Why investing in employee development isn't just about job skills - personal growth opportunities like financial planning classes can significantly boost retention
• Why keeping a toxic top performer can actually cost more than losing their production
• The importance of addressing generational "micro-bullying" that drives younger talent away
• A systematic 90-day activation process that replaces traditional onboarding and ensures new hire success

Episode Highlights:

00:01 – Why Retention Starts Before Day One – How leaders must rethink hiring and onboarding to create lasting engagement.

06:25 – Mastering the Welcome Process – Why a simple handwritten note or phone call before the first day can dramatically impact retention.

12:18 – Sharpening Job Ads to Attract Top Talent – How companies must go beyond listing skills and emphasize mission, values, and growth opportunities.

19:45 – The STAY Framework for Employee Activation – A structured 90-day plan to help new hires feel connected, valued, and set up for success.

28:30 – Why Investing in Employee Development Improves Retention – How offering personal and professional growth opportunities keeps employees engaged.

33:50 – Handling Toxic Top Performers – Why keeping a high-producing but toxic employee can destroy company culture.

46:06 – How Leaders Can Build a Culture That People Want to Stay In – Practical steps for creating an environment where employees feel valued and empowered.

About Mike:

Mike Harbour is a leadership development expert and former U.S. Army officer who has helped transform talent retention and leadership practices at organizations across America. As founder and Chief Action Officer of Harbour Resources, he leverages over three decades of experience in healthcare operations, executive search, and leadership development to solve critical retention challenges. A founding partner on the John C. Maxwell Team where he serves on the President's Advisory Council, Harbour has interviewed thousands of leaders and successfully placed hundreds in key positions. His podcast, The Lead Up, has produced over 400 episodes of leadership content, and his book Quit Losing Talent provides a systematic framework for modern hiring and...

11 Skills AI Will Never Replace: Skill #8 Coaching

Welcome to The Learn-It-All Podcast’s 11 Skills AI Will Never Replace-- our 11-part special series exploring the essential human skills that AI cannot replicate. With the start of the new year, we’re all facing unprecedented technological disruption and workplace transformation. To help you thrive in this new landscape, we’ve leveraged a study from MuchSkills that analyzed data from 28,000 professionals to identify the capabilities that will make you irreplaceable in an AI-enhanced workplace.   

Each week, dive deep into one critical skill, providing you with actionable strategies, expert insights, and Learnit’s proprietary frameworks to future-proof your career. This series isn't just about adapting to change – it's about mastering the unique human abilities that will define leadership success in the age of AI.  

The Art of Coaching: Unlock Your Team's Full Potential

Are you struggling with underperforming team members despite their obvious talent? What if the key isn't more directives, but a fundamental shift in how you lead?

In this episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, host Damon Lembi speaks with Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins, Learnit's top-ranked facilitator and leadership expert, about transforming ordinary management into impactful coaching. Their conversation reveals how coaching differs from traditional command-and-control leadership and provides a practical five-step framework for non-directive coaching. Through real examples and actionable advice, Mickey shares how coaching can elevate team performance, increase employee satisfaction, and drive retention—turning regular teams into "unstoppable" ones. This episode offers business leaders a clear roadmap to transition from simply managing outcomes to unlocking their team's true potential.

This Episode Covers:

• The crucial difference between managing and coaching
• How shifting from directive management to coaching questions completely transformed an underperforming team member
• The five-step non-directive coaching model with "magic questions" that puts employees in the driver's seat
• Why to coach strengths rather than weaknesses
• "Chameleon leadership"

Episode Highlights:

00:01 – Why Coaching is Critical in Today’s Workplace – How coaching helps leaders move from managing people to unlocking their full potential.

06:25 – The Cost of Not Coaching – Why command-and-control leadership leads to disengagement and turnover.

12:18 – The Five-Step Non-Directive Coaching Model – A structured approach to asking better questions and guiding problem-solving.

19:45 – The Magic Questions of Coaching – How "What’s on your mind?" and "What’s the real challenge?" create deeper conversations.

28:30 – Coaching vs. Mentoring – Understanding the key differences and when to apply each leadership style.

33:50 – Why Strengths-Based Coaching Works Best – How focusing on what people do well leads to better performance and engagement.

46:06 – Final Takeaways & Next Steps – How leaders can immediately apply coaching techniques to their teams.

About Damon Lembi:  

Damon Lembi is a 2x bestselling author, the host of The Learn-It-All Podcast, and CEO of Learnit – a live learning platform that has upskilled over 2 million people. Drawing from his prior baseball career, Damon brings an athlete’s perspective to leadership.

Why High Performers Often Fail as Leaders (And What to Do About It)

Are your top individual contributors struggling in leadership roles? According to David Kitchen, founder of Edge Leadership Academy, there's a crucial reason: leadership requires a completely different skillset than individual excellence.

On this episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, David Kitchen shares insights from his journey from Division I basketball coach to leadership development expert. In conversation with host Damon Lembi, David explains why high performers often struggle when promoted to leadership positions, outlines his framework for developing leadership skills, and reveals the four hard truths every aspiring leader needs to face.

This Episode Covers:

• Why promoting top performers to leadership roles often backfires and how to avoid this common mistake
• The four hard truths of leadership, including why it's lonely at the top and why leaders must chase love instead of likes
• The five C's of leadership: Character, Consistency, Commitment, Creativity, and Communication
• A practical three-step framework for learning agility: What, So What, Now What
• How to conduct regular leadership self-audits using specific questions that reveal blind spots
• Why the gap between stated culture and experienced culture drives away top talent

Episode Highlight:

00:01 – The Leadership Wake-Up Call – How a conversation with an athlete sparked David’s mission to build better leaders.

06:25 – The Four Hard Truths of Leadership – Why leadership is lonely, 24/7, uncertain, and never about you.

12:18 – Why High Performers Struggle as Leaders – How technical excellence doesn’t always translate into leadership success.

19:45 – The Five C’s of Leadership – The five qualities that separate great leaders from the rest.

28:30 – Self-Awareness & Leadership Audits – How to audit your own leadership skills and create a culture of honest feedback.

33:50 – The Importance of Learning Agility – Why leaders must adapt, evolve, and never stop learning.

46:06 – Why Retention is the #1 Business Challenge Today – How leaders can improve engagement, culture, and reduce turnover.

About David:

David Kitchen is the founder and CEO of Edge Leadership Academy, where he leverages his unique background in Division 1 athletics and psychology to transform organizational leadership. Notable for becoming the youngest NCAA head coach at age 24, Kitchen transitioned from collegiate basketball coaching to pioneering innovative leadership development programs.

He holds a Master's in Sport Psychology and is currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology. Kitchen is a three-time author, including the best-selling "The Pyramid: A System for Building Tomorrow's Leaders Today," and hosts a globally top-ranked podcast. His methodology focuses on practical execution and measurable results, serving both athletic and corporate clients. Kitchen's approach was shaped by identifying a critical gap between leadership expectations and actual leadership training in high-performance environments.

Resources Referenced:

Edge Leadership Academy

Built Not Born Podcast

The Hidden Cost of Prioritizing Business Over Health: A Leader's Wake-Up Call

Are you sacrificing your health on the altar of business success? What if the relentless pursuit of profit is actually undermining your ability to achieve your goals?

In this compelling episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, host Damon Lembi engages in a candid conversation with Mark Samuel, a serial entrepreneur and wellness advocate with over 65,000 LinkedIn followers. Their discussion examines the critical intersection of physical health, mental wellbeing, and business success. Drawing from his extensive experience in the health and wellness industry and his own personal journey, Samuel shares raw insights about mental health struggles, the importance of discipline over motivation, and how prioritizing health became the foundation of his business success.

This Episode Covers:

• Why health must be the #1 priority before family and work - and how this seemingly selfish choice actually enables everything else
• The critical difference between motivation and discipline in achieving fitness goals and business success
• How vulnerability and authenticity in leadership, particularly around mental health challenges, can build stronger connections and opportunities
• The profound impact of daily physical activity and nutrition on mental health and decision-making capabilities
• Why entrepreneurial success often requires giving up the need to be in complete control
• The value of building meaningful relationships through consistent, authentic content creation on LinkedIn
• How becoming a parent can transform your perspective on business and success
• The importance of patience in scaling businesses, particularly in the consumer products space

Episode Highlights:

00:01 – Why Health Should Be Every Leader’s Top Priority – Mark explains why physical and mental well-being must come before work and everything else.

06:25 – Discipline vs. Motivation in Fitness and Life – Why motivation is fleeting and how discipline drives real, lasting change.

12:18 – The Connection Between Fitness, Nutrition, and Mental Health – Mark shares how his workout and nutrition habits helped him manage anxiety and depression.

19:45 – Self-Awareness and Accountability in Leadership – The importance of taking responsibility for your decisions and learning from mistakes.

28:30 – The Power of Personal Branding and Authenticity – Why building relationships and showing up consistently matters in today’s professional world.

33:50 – How Mark Uses LinkedIn to Build Meaningful Connections – The strategy behind his daily content and engagement.

37:24 – How Fatherhood Changed His Perspective on Life and Success – Mark reflects on how becoming a dad gave him clarity and purpose.

About Mark:

Mark Samuel is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive who has successfully founded, scaled, and exited multiple companies in the health and wellness sector. As President and Board Member of Unbun Foods and Growth Executive at Siddhi Capital, he brings over two decades of expertise in building and growing consumer brands. Previously, Mark founded IWON Organics, a successful better-for-you snack company that was later licensed. Known for his authentic leadership style and dedication to health-focused innovation, he has built a highly engaged following of 65,000+ on LinkedIn through daily content creation. His expertise spans creative branding, strategic business planning, and operational...

11 Skills AI Will Never Replace: Skill #7 Feedback

Welcome to The Learn-It-All Podcast’s 11 Skills AI Will Never Replace-- our 11-part special series exploring the essential human skills that AI cannot replicate. With the start of the new year, we’re all facing unprecedented technological disruption and workplace transformation. To help you thrive in this new landscape, we’ve leveraged a study from MuchSkills that analyzed data from 28,000 professionals to identify the capabilities that will make you irreplaceable in an AI-enhanced workplace.    

Each week, dive deep into one critical skill, providing you with actionable strategies, expert insights, and Learnit’s proprietary frameworks to future-proof your career. This series isn't just about adapting to change – it's about mastering the unique human abilities that will define leadership success in the age of AI.   

The Art of Feedback: How Leaders Can Transform Performance Through Better Conversations

Are your feedback conversations falling flat? Many leaders struggle to deliver feedback that drives real behavior change and improves performance. This episode reveals a proven framework for giving feedback that people will actually hear and act on.

On this episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, Damon Lembi and guest Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins explore the critical skill of giving and receiving feedback effectively. Drawing from their extensive leadership experience, they break down the psychology behind feedback conversations and share practical techniques for making feedback more impactful, including how to avoid common pitfalls like the outdated "feedback sandwich" approach.

This Episode Covers:

• Why framing feedback conversations properly is crucial for reducing defensiveness and increasing receptivity
• The importance of focusing on observable behaviors and specific examples rather than opinions or hearsay
• How connecting feedback to organizational goals helps remove the perception of personal attacks
• Why public praise isn't always effective and can backfire even with positive feedback
• A simple three-step framework (Frame, Observe, Results) for structuring feedback conversations
• How leaders can create psychological safety by modeling vulnerability when receiving feedback
• The critical difference between giving feedback on job-related behaviors versus personal preferences

Episode Highlights:

00:01 – Why Feedback is Essential for Growth – Understanding why feedback matters and the different types of feedback in personal and professional settings.

05:55 – How to Give Effective Feedback – Introducing the FOR Model (Framing, Observations, Results) as a simple, structured approach.

12:31 – The Right and Wrong Way to Give Feedback – Why context matters, how to frame feedback properly, and what happens when feedback is mishandled.

19:45 – Overcoming Defensiveness When Receiving Feedback – Mickey shares a personal story about the challenge of receiving unexpected feedback.

28:30 – The Feedback Sandwich Problem – Why the traditional positive-negative-positive approach is outdated and often counterproductive.

32:38 – Giving Feedback in Private vs. Public – Why leaders should be mindful about how and where they provide feedback to avoid creating mistrust.

46:06 – Building a Culture of Continuous Feedback – How organizations can encourage open dialogue and feedback at all levels to drive performance.

About Damon Lembi:   

Damon Lembi is a...

From Command & Control to Systems Thinking: A New Approach to Leadership Effectiveness

Are you tired of trying to change your team's mindset or "fix" people's attitudes? What if there was a more practical approach to creating lasting change in your organization?

In this episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, Trevor Timbeck, co-author of "The Power of Systems," shares how shifting from psychological interpretations to systems thinking can transform leadership effectiveness. Drawing from his journey from computer science to leadership coaching, Trevor explains why focusing on concrete actions and systems rather than mindsets leads to better results.

This Episode Covers:

• Why attempting to change people's mindsets often fails and what to do instead
• How traditional "command and control" leadership actually demands obedience rather than inspiring change
• The power of shifting from having answers to asking better questions as a leader
• Why systems aren't just mechanical processes but can be organic and adaptive
• How to create lasting organizational change without relying on willpower or self-discipline
• The importance of building supporting systems rather than trying to maintain habits through force
• Why there's nothing wrong with you or your team - it's about finding better systems

Episode Highlights:

00:01 – The Shift from Psychology to Systems Thinking – Why most self-improvement advice focuses on the individual rather than the systems around them.

05:02 – Trevor’s Leadership Journey – How moving from computer science to sales to coaching changed his entire perspective on leadership.

12:31 – The Power of Asking Questions – Why great leaders don’t need to have all the answers—just the right questions.

19:45 – Breaking Free from the ‘Need to Be Right’ – How systems thinking helped Trevor improve his marriage, leadership, and approach to problem-solving.

28:30 – How Systems Create Lasting Change – Why focusing on small, practical system changes works better than trying to change mindsets or habits directly.

32:38 – Overcoming Barriers to Change – Why people struggle with sustaining new habits and how to design systems that support long-term success.

46:06 – Applying Systems Thinking in Leadership – How leaders can foster accountability, adaptability, and problem-solving in their teams.

About Trevor:

Trevor Timbeck is a leadership coach and author who combines technical expertise with transformational leadership principles. After earning an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, he built a diverse corporate career spanning IT, marketing, and sales at companies including TD Bank, 3M, BlackBerry, and Sun Microsystems. As SVP of Sales, he managed $40M in revenue before transitioning to Chief Talent Officer after experiencing the impact of professional coaching. He co-authored The Power of Systems with Steve Chandler and holds a Professional Certified Coach designation from the International Coaching Federation. Trevor specializes in helping leaders shift from command-and-control approaches to systems-based leadership, leveraging his unique blend of technical innovation (including a patent for mobile content distribution) and emotional intelligence.

Resources Referenced:

The Power of Systems: How to Create a Life That Works by Trevor Timbeck and Steve Chandler

Building a True Learning Culture: Moving Beyond Lip Service to Real Impact

Is your organization struggling to maintain a genuine learning culture despite claiming to value employee development? Many companies say they prioritize learning, but few successfully embed it into their DNA. In this episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, Dr. Angela Stopper, Chief Learning Officer at UC Berkeley, shares how she transformed Berkeley's approach to learning and development, including implementing an innovative 80-hour professional development policy and reimagining performance evaluations to foster genuine growth and engagement.

This Episode Covers:

• How Berkeley implemented and tracked an 80-hour annual professional development policy, achieving 50% staff participation
• Why traditional annual performance reviews often fail and how Berkeley shifted to a three-conversation model that yielded 88% employee satisfaction
• The business case for learning culture: reducing turnover costs, improving retention, and enhancing workplace satisfaction
• Practical ways to democratize coaching through peer relationships and communities of practice
• How to gain buy-in from resistant managers by using data and inclusive pilot programs
• The critical connection between workplace happiness and organizational success
• Breaking down silos between leadership and frontline workers to create equitable learning opportunities

Episode Highlights:

00:01 – Defining a Learning Culture – Why true learning organizations embed growth into everyday work rather than treating it as an afterthought.

05:55 – The 80-Hour Learning Policy at UC Berkeley – How this policy was developed, what it includes, and why it has been so successful.

12:31 – Overcoming Barriers to Learning – How to address managers who hesitate to allow their teams to engage in professional development.

19:45 – How Surveys Improve Learning Cultures – Why Berkeley tracks key data on employee engagement and how survey results have led to major improvements.

28:30 – Scaling Learning Across Organizations – How UC campuses collaborate to expand training access without reinventing the wheel.

32:38 – Rethinking Performance Evaluations – Moving from outdated annual reviews to frequent, meaningful feedback conversations.

46:06 – The Role of Coachability in Leadership – Why leaders must be open to feedback and how organizations can foster peer coaching at every level.



About Dr. Angela:

Dr. Angela Stopper is Chief Learning Officer at UC Berkeley, where she leads enterprise-wide learning and development initiatives. A pioneering force in higher education administration, she spearheaded Berkeley's groundbreaking 80-hour professional development policy and transformed its performance evaluation system. Previously, she served as Director of Program Innovations at UC Davis Graduate School of Management, overseeing executive education and leadership development programs. Her expertise spans global talent development, organizational change, and educational innovation. Dr. Stopper holds a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development from Penn State University, where she maintains an appointment as Adjunct Assistant Professor. Her research focuses on global talent development, organizational assessment, and closing workforce capability gaps in enterprise organizations.

Resources Referenced:

11 Skills AI Will Never Replace: Skill #6 Problem-Solving

Welcome to The Learn-It-All Podcast’s 11 Skills AI Will Never Replace-- our 11-part special series exploring the essential human skills that AI cannot replicate. With the start of the new year, we’re all facing unprecedented technological disruption and workplace transformation. To help you thrive in this new landscape, we’ve leveraged a study from MuchSkills that analyzed data from 28,000 professionals to identify the capabilities that will make you irreplaceable in an AI-enhanced workplace.    

Each week, dive deep into one critical skill, providing you with actionable strategies, expert insights, and Learnit’s proprietary frameworks to future-proof your career. This series isn't just about adapting to change – it's about mastering the unique human abilities that will define leadership success in the age of AI.   

Problem-Solving in a Fast-Paced World: Breaking Free from Old Solutions

Is your team still applying yesterday's solutions to today's unprecedented challenges? In a McKinsey study, 75% of leaders reported their teams struggle with independent thinking and problem-solving.

This Learn-It-All Podcast episode features Learnit CEO Damon Lembi and Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins, LearnIt's top-ranked facilitator and leadership expert, discussing creative problem-solving strategies. Mickey introduces a practical framework called the "Five P's" that helps leaders and teams break free from conventional thinking patterns and develop innovative solutions that work in today's rapidly evolving business landscape.

This Episode Covers:

• The Five P's framework for reframing problems: Perspectives (how others view it), Pertinent info (relevant context), Position (relationship to the problem), Positive exceptions (when it's not a problem), and Playing favorites (avoiding default solutions)
• Why teams often jump to solutions before properly defining the problem, leading to misaligned efforts and ineffective outcomes
• How "rolestorming" - problem-solving from different perspectives by taking on various roles - unlocks creative solutions
• The value of pre-mortems and post-mortems in increasing problem-solving success rates
• Using divergent thinking (exploring multiple possibilities) and convergent thinking (narrowing to practical solutions) to develop better outcomes

Episode Highlights

00:01 – Why Problem-Solving Matters – How problem-solving impacts business success and why most teams struggle with it.

05:55 – The Five P’s Framework for Reframing Problems – A step-by-step approach to identifying and solving the right problem.

12:31 – Common Barriers to Problem-Solving – How fear of failure, risk aversion, and lack of accountability hold teams back.

19:45 – How Creativity Fuels Problem-Solving – The importance of thinking big and small, and how asking the right questions leads to innovative solutions.

28:30 – Lessons from COVID and Business Adaptation – Real-world examples of creative problem-solving and possibility spotting.

32:38 – How Leaders Can Foster a Problem-Solving Culture – Why psychological safety and open-ended questionsare key to better decision-making.

46:06 – Practical Tools for Problem-Solving – The power of pre-mortems, post-mortems, and role-storming to improve solutions.

About Damon Lembi:   

Damon Lembi is a 2x bestselling author, the host of The Learn-It-All Podcast, and CEO of Learnit – a live learning platform that has upskilled over 2 million people....