You can plant a tree and walk away, and it might survive. But it won’t thrive. Thriving takes attention. The same is true for the people on your team.

Jim Sinegal understood this better than almost anyone. He co-founded Costco and built it around one simple idea: employees who are treated well will treat customers well. Simple, but he backed it up with real money. Costco has long paid its employees well above the retail industry average and offers health insurance to more than ninety percent of its workforce, far above the retail norm.

He proved it under pressure, too. During the 2008 recession, when most retailers were cutting staff to survive, Sinegal refused to lay anyone off. He said his employees had earned that loyalty. Instead of cuts, Costco leaned on attrition and shifted people into new warehouses that were opening. Costco came through the recession with its workforce, and its reputation, intact.

“Paying good wages to keep good people working for you is good business,” Sinegal liked to say. Costco’s turnover backs him up. It’s one of the lowest in all of retail.

There’s data behind this too. LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report found that ninety four percent of employees say they’d stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers. Ninety four percent. That’s not a small number. That’s almost everybody.

Investing in your people doesn’t have to be complicated. Teach someone a new skill. Give credit in front of the team. Protect them when it costs you something. That’s when they find out you meant it.

Grow your people, and they’ll stay. Neglect them, and they’ll find soil somewhere else.

Join the Free Webinar: I’m hosting a free webinar called “The Leadership Edge: How Top Leaders Build Influence, Grow Value, and Attract the Best People” on Thursday, October 15th. If any of this hit home, come spend an hour with me. Bring a notebook. Bring your questions. Let’s grow something together. Register HERE.