When your best young people keep turning down promotions, you don’t have a motivation problem. You have a succession problem. Here are six moves CEOs can make to rebuild a thinning leadership bench, starting at the top.
Employees are disengaging and trust in leadership is declining, not because of AI or workplace policies, but because of a growing leadership gap. Organizations that fail to build trust, create connection, and align actions with values will continue to lose top talent. The real leadership crisis isn’t about change. It’s about how leaders show up in
Jumpstart 2026 with a no-pressure leadership conversation. Request a complimentary 15–20 minute call to talk goals, hiring, and retention with Roberta Matuson, Advisor to leaders at General Motors, Microsoft, Takeda, and more.
If you’re ‘buying’ talent while your people are burning out, you’re funding a revolving door. External hires often fail because they’re dropped into the same broken system causing burnout and disengagement. The real solution isn’t another requisition—it’s building a purposeful talent system that prioritizes internal mobility, manager development, and work design. Grow your people on purpose, and watch retention, morale, and business execution accelerate—making external hiring the exception, not the rule.
Is a college degree still a good investment? I’m not sure anymore. How about you? What are your thoughts?
Finding the right talent that will prosper and stay is even harder when you do it alone.
Subscribe to Roberta's Talent Maximizer and receive weekly insights to help you hire and retain top performers. PLUS receive The Evergreen Talent Workbook for free - a guide to help you hire and cultivate a sustainable workforce.
Subscribe to Roberta's Talent Maximizer® and receive weekly insights to help you hire and retain top performers. PLUS receive The Evergreen Talent® Workbook for free - a guide to help you hire and cultivate a sustainable workforce.
Subscribe to Roberta's Talent Maximizer® and receive weekly insights to help you hire and retain top performers. PLUS receive The Evergreen Talent® Workbook for free - a guide to help you hire and cultivate a sustainable workforce.