Let’s Talk… 79% Disengaged: The Leadership Wake-Up Call

Let’s Talk… 79% Disengaged: The Leadership Wake-Up Call
By InUncategorized

Engagement isn’t just an HR issue—it’s your competitive advantage

Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report reveals a stark reality: 79% of employees globally are disengaged.

And here’s the kicker—manager engagement is at its lowest level in over a decade, dropping from 30% to 27%.

The decline is even more pronounced among younger managers under 35 and female managers, with engagement plunging by 5 and 7 percentage points, respectively.

But this isn’t just a leadership issue—it’s a ripple effect. According to Gallup, managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. So when leaders check out, their teams follow, and the consequences spread across culture, performance, and retention.

The Cost: Billions in Lost Productivity

The broader implications are staggering. Gallup estimates that declining employee engagement, driven largely by manager disengagement, cost the global economy approximately $438 billion in lost productivity in 2024 alone.

The Underlying Factors: Evolving Workplace Dynamics

Several factors contribute to the decline in manager engagement:

  • Rising Complexity: Managers are navigating hybrid teams, evolving technology, and increased pressure to meet both employee and executive expectations. The shift to hybrid work has “fractured workplace culture,” according to The New York Times, making leadership visibility and alignment more difficult.
  • Leadership Readiness Gaps: Only 44% of managers receive formal leadership training, leaving many to figure things out on the fly—often without the skills to manage complexity, build team trust, or engage across distance.
  • Burnout & Emotional Strain: The emotional load of leading through uncertainty, change, and crisis has left many managers feeling drained. In a recent Forbes article, Dr. Tracy Brower highlights that empathetic leadership, while essential, has led to emotional fatigue when not supported by broader systems of wellbeing.
  • Disconnection from Purpose: In the race for results, many managers are losing their connection to the “why” behind their work. As Adam Grant shares via the World Economic Forum, “The future belongs to generous leaders who make others feel like they matter.” When meaning is missing, motivation follows close behind.

The Opportunity: Reignite the Tribe

In the face of manager disengagement, there’s one powerful lever many organisations overlook: Tribe.

In The Connect Effect, Tribe is about identity, rhythms, and rituals. It’s the heartbeat of culture. When leaders and teams know who they are, how they move, and what moments matter—they don’t just show up, they stand together.

✨ A strong tribe creates belonging. Shared rhythms build alignment. Meaningful rituals turn values into lived experience.

To reignite the tribe, focus on:

  • Purpose Alignment: Reconnect leaders to the ‘why’ behind their work. Let mission show up in moments, not just messages.
  • Peer-to-Peer Connection: Trust travels sideways. Create space for honest conversations, shared learning, and support.
  • Tailored Development: Move beyond one-size-fits-all. Offer growth that speaks to both skill and spirit.

Practical Ways to Build Tribe This Week

✨Create a Remarkable Ritual:

Take something you already do — a client welcome, settlement gift, or team win — and ask: “What would make this unmistakably ours?” Add a personal touch. Make it memorable. Make it repeatable. That’s how you build a tribe people stay with, refer to, and talk about.

✨ Make One Message More Human:

Choose one message — an update, thank you, or check-in — and ask: “How could I make this feel more personal?” Send a voice note. Mention a detail that matters. Handwrite a note or record a quick video. Small human moments create lasting loyalty.

✨ Start One Small Team Tradition:

Pick one team moment — a Friday win, Monday huddle, or auction day — and ask: “How could we make this a signature of who we are?” Celebrate wins. Welcome new starters. Start a pre-auction ritual. Rituals repeated = culture remembered

Further Reading and Resources

Need a spark for your leadership team? I run high-impact conference sessions and workshops to reignite trust, realign purpose, and reconnect your leadership team and teams.

Perfect for all-in team conferences, planning days, off-sites, or a much-needed team reset.

📩 Let’s chat—or head to kirrynzerna.com to learn more.