[Noah]

In general, any team has natural leaders who emerge in specific fields that the team works in, or lead the team as a whole. Especially after spending a few years working for the team, these leaders tend do strongly believe that things should function a certain way.

The problem here is that there needs to be compromise between tradition and innovation. A successful team needs both.

If people who you would consider 'core' members of your team are leaving, then they probably have legitimate gripes about the current team structure. This is a case where I would have a team captain confront them. As senior members, they have a responsibility to the team to make it as good as it can be. They can't do that through threats, and they can't do it by walking away.

I would suggest that you hold a team meeting. Allow all your team members an open floor to talk to each other and address the way your team functions. You will probably find battle lines being drawn at some point, and that is where the role of the team captain is critical: Find an acceptable compromise.

It's sounds difficult, and believe me, it's harder than it sounds, but start with the assumption that all your members (and 'almost-ex-members') really want your team to succeed, and you have a pretty strong base of support.

Good luck!
--Noah