Description

Turnover. Disengagement. Stalled performance. Every manufacturing and operations leader is battling these symptoms—but very few are addressing the actual cause.

In Episode 3 of The Frontline Leadership Podcast, host Craig Coyle reveals why even good companies with competitive pay, solid benefits, and decent working conditions are still losing their best people. The answer isn't what most senior leaders expect—and it's been hiding in plain sight.

Drawing from Gallup's latest research and his experience transforming toxic organizations as both an Apache pilot and combat leader, Craig breaks down the hidden system failure that's costing companies billions in turnover while killing engagement on the floor.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: 70% of team engagement variance is directly driven by frontline managers. Yet most organizations promote their best technical performers into leadership roles and provide zero systematic training, no strategic support, and no continued development. Then we're shocked when turnover spikes and culture deteriorates.

You're not stuck in a generational crisis. You're stuck playing a commodity game you can't win—competing on basic needs (pay, benefits, schedules) instead of psychological and self-actualization needs (belonging, growth, purpose). And the only people who can shift that equation are the leaders your workforce sees every single day.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why the labor market has fundamentally shifted—and what that means for how you attract and retain talent
• The real driver of engagement (hint: it's not ping-pong tables or pizza parties)
• Why 70% of your retention problem is actually a frontline leadership problem
• The gap that prevents even strong companies from solving turnover
• What happens when new leaders hit "the valley of despair"—and why most never make it out
• How to break free from the commodity trap and activate the workforce you already have

Whether you're a senior leader watching good people walk out the door, an operations executive tired of firefighting the same culture issues, or a frontline manager drowning without support—this episode shows you exactly where the breakdown is happening and what to do about it.

Resources mentioned:
Download The Hidden Cause of Turnover, Disengagement & Stalled Performance: operationlead.com/retention
Request a Discovery Call: operationlead.kit.com/requestcall

Connect with Craig:
Website: operationlead.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/operation-lead
Craig's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/craig-coyle

About the show: The Frontline Leadership Podcast helps frontline leaders become professional leaders by building systematic development infrastructure that activates your workforce. New episodes weekly.