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October 28, 2025
I have always made self-development a central part of how I lead, whether that is reading new research, reflecting on lessons learned, or learning from others who approach leadership with intention. Recently, while reading The Elevated Leader: Boost Your Confidence and Transform Your Team by Mastering Coaching, Accountability, and Difficult Conversations by Laurie Maddalena, one point caught my attention. She referenced Gallup’s most recent data showing that only 31% of U.S. employees are actively engaged at work.
That insight made me want to dig deeper. If engagement numbers are this low, what is really driving the decline, and more importantly, what can leaders do to improve it?
In my previous post, Leadership in Procurement: Turning Data into Development, I talked about how we can take data and use it to strengthen our leadership abilities, translating insight into meaningful action. This post continues that idea, focusing on what the current engagement data tells us about the state of leadership and how we can course-correct.
What Do We Mean by “Engagement”?
Before diving into causes and solutions, it is critical we are aligned on what “employee engagement” means. According to Gallup, engagement is “how committed an employee is to their organization, their role, their manager, and their co-workers.” Engaged employees are “involved and enthusiastic” about their work—they bring discretionary effort, not just minimum effort.
This definition matters. Engagement is not about satisfaction or the absence of complaints; it is about connection and contribution. It is the difference between showing up and leaning in.
A Wake-Up Call for U.S. Leaders
Gallup’s 2024 data places U.S. employee engagement at its lowest point in a decade. Only 31% of employees say they are engaged, down from previous years, and 17% are actively disengaged. (Gallup, 2025)
The declines show up in the fundamentals: fewer employees strongly agree that they know what is expected of them, that someone cares about them at work, or that they are encouraged to develop. These are the essentials of good leadership, and when they weaken, organizational performance follows.
“Engagement isn’t about satisfaction—it’s about connection and contribution.”
What’s Driving the Drop?
Based on research from Gallup and complementary organizational studies, several recurring themes help explain why engagement continues to decline.
1. Blurred Expectations and Weak Coaching
Many employees no longer feel clear about what success looks like, and they lack consistent feedback or coaching to help them get there. When clarity and support are missing, motivation and confidence erode.
2. Underdeveloped Managers
Gallup’s research finds that manager effectiveness is the single biggest driver of team engagement. Yet too many managers are promoted for technical skills, not people leadership. Without proper development, even high-performing employees can disengage under poor management.
3. Culture Matters—A Lot
MIT Sloan’s analysis of turnover during the Great Resignation concluded that toxic corporate culture is the strongest predictor of attrition, over 10 times more predictive than compensation. When norms allow disrespect, inequity, or lack of accountability, even meaningful work loses its sense of purpose. Culture is not an HR function; it is a reflection of how leaders show up every day.
4. Growth and Development Are Getting Cut
Opportunities for learning and development remain among the strongest predictors of engagement. Yet these are often the first programs scaled back when resources tighten. Cutting development to save money typically costs more in disengagement and turnover.
The Leadership Reset We Need
The following practices are drawn from Gallup’s long-term research and proven management principles that consistently strengthen engagement. This is the practical path forward.
- Re-establish clarity. Revisit and simplify expectations. Make sure every role has transparent success criteria tied to purpose.
- Make 1:1s purposeful and consistent. These are not status check-ins, they should center on growth, obstacles, feedback, and recognition.
- Tackle culture intentionally. Define how we work together. Address behaviors that erode respect and reinforce those that build trust and fairness.
- Develop manager capability. Prioritize programs that help managers lead with communication, empathy, and accountability. When managers grow, teams thrive.
The Call to Action
If U.S. employee engagement is at a ten-year low, the challenge is not that employees have stopped caring, it is that leadership attention has shifted away from the basics. The good news? We already know what works. By focusing on clarity, development, and culture, leaders can reignite connection and performance across their teams.
For those of us in public service and procurement, engagement is not just about job satisfaction, it is about mission fulfillment. When people feel connected to purpose and empowered to contribute, the impact extends to every community we serve.
Reigniting engagement begins when we recommit to leading well—every day, with intention.
References
- Gallup (2025). U.S. Employee Engagement Sinks to 10-Year Low. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/468233/employee-engagement-sinks-year-low.aspx
- Gallup. Q12 Engagement Framework and Definitions. https://news.gallup.com/topic/employee-engagement.aspx
- Sull, D., Sull, C., & Zweig, B. (2022). Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/
- Maddalena, L. (2023). The Elevated Leader: Boost Your Confidence and Transform Your Team by Mastering Coaching, Accountability, and Difficult Conversations. Indigo River Publishing.
Reigniting engagement begins when we recommit to leading well—every day, with intention.
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