Lead to Last: Retaining Talent Through Empowered Leadership

“When you feel empowered, even though you know it’s a very difficult decision and hard to implement, you go out there with a full heart and mind, willing to take the risk and do it.”

This powerful reflection shared by Ms. L.A. Cruz, one of the guest panelists at the Lead to Last: Retaining Talent Through Empowered Leadership panel during Sprout’s SOHR Summit 2025, showed what real empowerment can help leaders and teams achieve.

Led by Crissy Rollan, Founder and CEO at Qubel Recruitment Corp and HR Thought Leader at @crissytalkshr, the panel featured three accomplished HR leaders who brought diverse experience across industries and cultures:

• Maria Lourdes Ann “L.A.” Cruz – Vice President of the People Department at Lufthansa Technik Philippines
• Alvanson So –Regional People Lead at Canva
• Mia Lim – People Director at Tala

Why Empowerment Matters in Retention

Insights from the discussion revealed three key reasons why empowerment is essential for retaining talent. 

1. Empowered leaders drive organizational confidence

According to Ms. Cruz, being treated as a core part of the leadership team, not just an HR function, created a sense of ownership in her decisions and impact. Empowerment allowed her to take risks, make difficult calls, and model bold decision-making to her team. This confidence, she emphasized, trickles down to others.

2. “Glocal” Leadership Enables Flexibility

Mr. So recounted leading major decisions in Canva during the height of the pandemic, including policy changes like unlimited sick leaves. Despite the potential risks, the support he received from senior leadership gave him the courage to act decisively. He attributed this empowerment to strong organizational trust and a “glocal” mindset: global standards with local execution.

3. Empowering others creates empowered teams

For Ms. Lim, being empowered meant being trusted to empower others. She cited an example where she trained her deputy to lead a salary benchmarking project from end to end,  with full confidence that her team could represent HR’s recommendations to top leadership. The result? Buy-in, execution, and stronger team confidence.

The panel also acknowledged that empowerment isn’t always easy, especially in today’s high-pressure environments.

Ms. Lim shared her experience returning to the Philippines after working abroad. She noted that while empowerment is possible locally, it often requires unlearning old systems and leadership expectations. For her, the key was to give people context and parameters, empowering them within clear decision-making boundaries.

Meanwhile, Ms. Cruz highlighted the patience required when dealing with homegrown talent in traditional firms. She emphasized that Filipino leaders can thrive when they are shown what great looks like. “It’s a slow burn, but it’s worth it”, she said. 

To move from theory to practice, the panelists shared how they cascade empowerment to managers and teams.

• Modeling empowerment from the top: Stressing the importance of role modeling, Mr. So emphasized that leaders who are empowered themselves should demonstrate how to delegate, support, and coach others, rather than just holding power at the top.
• Encouraging decision-making at all levels: Ms. Lim described how she trusts her team with budget oversight, only stepping in when thresholds are crossed. This encourages accountability without micromanagement.
• Creating opportunities for visibility: Ms. Cruz shared how she intentionally gives her team face time with senior leaders, even in meetings she doesn’t attend, so they can learn to lead and grow independently.

Based on the discussion, several key elements are critical to embedding empowerment in teams and culture:

• Trust from leadership:  All three panelists emphasized how trust, from CEOs and business heads, is foundational. Trust allows HR leaders to make impactful decisions, challenge norms, and support innovation.
• Understanding the business deeply: Ms. Lim admitted that in her early HR career, she made arguments based on “feelings” instead of data. She learned that business acumen is non-negotiable; HR leaders must understand the financials, operations, and strategic direction to be taken seriously.
• Willingness to fail and learn: Ms. Cruz and Mr. So both highlighted how empowerment comes with risk. Sometimes, efforts will fail or face pushback. But resilience and the willingness to learn from setbacks keep momentum going.
• Clear boundaries and context: Empowerment does not mean total freedom. Ms. Lim emphasized the importance of defining what decisions can be made at which levels, supported by a clear business context.

Tip: Learn the top HR trends and key insights to help you build a more committed workforce in our State of HR 2025 report.

A strong culture of empowerment can reduce turnover, but it’s not always that simple. The panel tackled this question directly: Is low attrition always a good thing?

The good and the challenging sides of high retention

Ms. Lim shared that Tala’s 10–11% attrition rate is well below the industry average for fintech (which can go up to 50%). While this suggests strong employee engagement and continuity, it also comes with challenges, such as limited upward mobility, slow innovation, and resistance to change.

This reveals a critical insight: retention isn’t just about keeping people; it’s about keeping the right people in the right roles, with room to grow.

Here’s what the panelists emphasized about managing attrition strategically:

Not all turnover is bad

Mr. So explained that some attrition is necessary to make space for new roles, ideas, and skills. He cautioned against obsessing over keeping everyone, especially if roles or business needs evolve.

“Up or out” cultures must be contextualized

While some companies adopt this framework to push performance, it can be risky in cultures that value stability. Leaders must balance fairness, cultural fit, and growth.

Retention is a leadership responsibility, not just HR’s

According to Ms. Cruz, HR shouldn’t carry retention alone. Business leaders should own the outcomes of keeping or promoting someone, especially if there are risks involved.

Culture fit matters as much as performance

When asked about retaining a high-performing but misaligned employee, the panel agreed: leadership should weigh both value delivery and long-term cultural impact and take accountability for the decision.

As the panelists shared, empowerment requires patience, resilience, and a deep understanding of the business, but the payoff is a stronger, more agile workforce ready to face challenges and seize opportunities.

Retention is not just about keeping employees; it’s about keeping the right people in roles where they can thrive and contribute meaningfully. Leaders must balance performance with cultural fit and take responsibility for making tough decisions that align with long-term goals. 

Missed the live event? Watch the full recording anytime, and check out our other on-demand webinars. You may also explore our thought leadership pages and blogs for more insights and resources to help you build a stronger team.