Ripple Effect - Why do teams leave?

The discussion on Fast Company on what happens When teams leave is very interesting. It talks about what happened at an U.K ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi when a leader left and his team followed suit. This is a very common phenomenon in the IT industry. I’m observing one such move at close quarters and these are the questions that come to my mind now:

First a little background on the situation. A successful manager named X quits and a group of 9 from his team decide to go with him.

“Why would a group of 10 people just leave when their leader quits?”

Probably the answer is in the question itself. Because he is a leader and not a manager. Perhaps he is someone whom they look upto for everything. Even if he does not have the answers to all their problems, he shows confidence in his team that they will be able to find the answers themselves. Someone who doesn’t intervene at all. He has probably redefined leadership that they find it difficult or rather intimidated to work for anyone else. He is probably someone who puts himself in any situation before the team and sets an example for his team. Exhibits an immense passion that sends their energy levels through the roof.

On second thoughts, is it so good to be dependent on a leader who decides your career moves as well. Probably a wrong choice of word in “decides”. I should have probably said “motivates”.

Maybe yes. Maybe not. Maybe yes if you are not capable for deciding for yourself and acknowledge that fact as well. Maybe yes, if you can decide for yourself have weighed your options and then decide to follow him. Maybe not, if he is selfish.

“If the manager was successful and he had such a dedicated team, then it goes without saying that all the projects they would have done would have been commendable too. A good line up of customers who would swear by this team. So why is this transition happening then?

I don’t know. But I think I found an answer to this question in this sentence -
“Negativity, cynicism, and sarcasm are the leading causes of death when it comes to organizational confidence,” he told me at one point. “They don’t help the brand.” Neither does it help the individual. When an organization stops patting the shoulders of its efficient soldiers, the spirit can live only so long. Eventually it dies. “Confidence” is the key word here.

Finally, to summarise I realized these are the reasons why they leave:

a) the leader and the cohesiveness of a group – sometime the bonding is very strong
b) better career options and the confidence that their leader will make them realize the same.
c) Pay factor - more than the passion, I also believe it’s the deal they can work out together as a group that is attractive. Money is a temptation and the greed never dies!

This is just one case of how teams leave. There are instances that I call the “Ripple Effect”. When a peer leaves and if the rest of the group is a closely knit one, the ripple factor sets in. They also start looking for other avenues within a short span.

How does this affect an organization? Well its not a secret that organizations are not dependent on just a bunch of people. The invisible factor is the demotivation and stress caused to the rest of them who decide to stick on!

On a final note, I agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson..
Money often costs too much.