Engagement Isn't Broken. Leadership Is.

Let’s stop pretending employee engagement is some mysterious force that ebbs and flows like the tides. It’s not. It’s a mirror — and right now, it’s reflecting a leadership crisis.

The latest Gallup numbers say only 31% of employees are engaged. That’s not a workforce problem. That’s a leadership indictment. And the 17% who are actively disengaged? They’re not lazy — they’re exhausted from being led by people who don’t listen, don’t care, and don’t show up.

Executives respond with the usual theater: surveys, wellness perks, pizza parties. But here’s the truth — disengagement isn’t cured by incentives. It’s cured by integrity.

The Real Problem: Leadership That’s Lost the Plot

Leadership today demands emotional intelligence, not just technical expertise. Yet most organizations still promote based on IQ and charisma — the “eye candy” leaders who look good on paper but leave a trail of burned-out teams behind them.

Disengagement happens when:

• Leaders confuse visibility with value.

• Feedback is performative, not personal.

• Recognition is generic, not genuine.

• Culture is a poster, not a practice.

• Managers are emotionally absent or emotionally volatile.

  
  

And let’s not forget — only 27% of managers feel engaged themselves. If the people leading your teams are burned out, disengaged, and disconnected, what do you expect from the rest of the organization?

Why the Usual Fixes Fail

Most engagement strategies are like putting makeup on a broken mirror. They treat symptoms, not systems.

• Surveys don’t fix trust. They just expose it.

• Recognition programs feel transactional when leaders don’t know their people.

• Wellness perks are meaningless if the culture itself is toxic.

• Team-building events are temporary highs that crash hard when Monday morning hits.

  
  

Leadership must shift from hierarchical control to emotionally intelligent collaboration. That shift isn’t optional anymore — it’s overdue.

What Actually Works: Leadership That Leads

If engagement is down, stop asking what’s wrong with employees. Start asking what’s missing in leadership.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Coach, don’t measure. Engagement metrics are mirrors, not report cards. Use them to coach leaders, not to grade employees.

• Conversations over campaigns. Culture isn’t built in workshops. It’s built in daily interactions. Train leaders to listen, not just talk.

• Make leadership development foundational. Not a perk. Not a retreat. A core function. Ongoing, experiential, and personal.

• Tie engagement to leadership accountability. If your team is disengaged, your leadership needs work. Period.

• Redefine success. Move beyond quarterly wins. Focus on trust, growth, and psychological safety. That’s the real bottom line.

• Model it at the top. Leaders must demonstrate what wellness, purpose, and connection look like. You can’t preach what you don’t practice.

  
  

The Wake-Up Call

Disengagement isn’t a mystery. It’s a message. And it’s saying: “We don’t trust you. We don’t feel seen. We don’t believe you care.”

Leadership isn’t about leading processes. It’s about leading people. And people don’t follow titles. They follow trust.

So if engagement is low, don’t fix the workforce. Fix the leadership. Because when leaders lead with clarity, care, and connection, engagement isn’t something you chase — it’s something you earn.

Dr. Neal McIntyre, DPA