Engaged Managers = Engaged Teams
Leadership plays a crucial role motivating employees to care and stay involved at work.
By Chris Dyer
There is a clear and direct connection between effective leadership and team performance. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report underscores this relationship, revealing that managers account for a staggering 70 percent of the variance in team employee engagement.
Yet, with only 23 percent of global employees actively engaged, the statistics paint a picture of poor leadership. However, this isn’t the full picture. Alarmingly, that same study shows that only 30 percent of managers are actively engaged.
This isn’t a leadership issue, it’s an engagement crisis—one that demands immediate attention.
The manager-employee relationship
At the heart of employee engagement lies the manager-employee relationship. Gallup’s report reveals that when managers remain engaged, their employees are significantly more likely to follow suit.
Additionally, this engagement is closely linked to the quality of the interpersonal relationship between employees and their managers.
Gallup’s study revealed that managers can significantly enhance employee engagement through effective goal-setting, regular feedback, and accountability. Good managers build relationships. Exceptional managers cultivate enduring relationships built on a foundation of respect, positivity, and recognition.
Measure the impact
Increased engagement among management translates to higher levels of engagement throughout the entire workforce. This heightened engagement not only boosts morale but also drives better business outcomes.
Gallup’s research highlights this connection, revealing that the disparity between top- and bottom-quartile teams is significant across many major KPIs. Specifically, top-performing teams enjoy:
78 percent less absenteeism. Employees engaged in their roles demonstrate a strong commitment to the company and its mission.
10 percent increase in customer loyalty and engagement. Engaged employees are more likely to provide exceptional service.
18 percent increase in productivity (sales). Higher engagement levels translate into more productive employees.
23 percent increase in profitability. Engaged employees deliver higher quality work.
70 percent increase in employee wellbeing. Employee engagement levels are a direct reflection of your employees’ overall wellbeing.
Investing in management not only enriches the workplace culture but also yields tangible business benefits. Companies that prioritize engagement at all levels position themselves for sustained success.
Invest in leadership for lasting engagement
Effective leaders often share common traits, but they don’t always possess the same knowledge or skills. To ensure your managers are both engaged and effective, organizations need to invest time and resources into their development.
This is not only my professional opinion, it is a researched-backed statement. The results of the State of the Global Workforce report show that organizations with high levels of engagement prioritize manager hiring and development as a key strategy for success.
They weave engagement into every stage of the employee life cycle, recognizing that a strong focus on leadership development is essential to sustainable success.
This investment must go beyond professional development as well. Gallup found that managers are more likely to have a negative experience than non-managers. They have higher levels of stress, anger, sadness, and loneliness.
Leadership must develop an organizational culture that supports work-life balance, recognizes and rewards achievements, promotes team building, and emphasizes mental health.
Empower managers to lead effectively
While promoting managerial well-being and engagement is a crucial aspect of this strategy, neglecting to provide professional development tools and resources significantly undermines your efforts and sets the stage for failure.
Provide clear expectations: Setting clear expectations is essential for not only managerial success but success for employees at all levels. When managers understand their roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics, they can lead their teams more effectively. This should include specific goals, performance indicators, and deadlines as well as general expectations.
Offer regular training: Regular training sessions can keep managers updated on best practices, new technologies, and effective leadership techniques. Providing ongoing education—whether through workshops, webinars, or online courses—ensures that managers have the skills necessary to navigate the evolving workplace.
Encourage open communication: Creating a culture of open communication enables managers to build trust and nurture collaboration within their teams—and with leadership. Encouraging managers to regularly check in with their employees, solicit their input, and share information transparently helps to break down barriers and encourages a two-way dialogue.
Provide resources and tools: Equipping managers with the right resources and tools is vital for their success. This includes access to project management software, communication platforms, and data analytics tools that can help them track performance, streamline workflows, and facilitate collaboration. Providing resources also means offering access to mental health support and professional development materials, which are important aspects of a manager’s continued success.
Facilitate mentorship and coaching: Implementing mentorship and coaching programs can significantly boost managerial effectiveness. Pairing less experienced managers with seasoned leaders allows for knowledge transfer and the sharing of best practices. These relationships can provide valuable insights, support, and encouragement, helping new managers navigate challenges and build their leadership skills.
Encourage autonomy: Allowing managers a degree of autonomy in their roles can lead to increased innovation and job satisfaction. Micromanagement has a negative impact on both morale and productivity levels. When managers are empowered to make decisions and take ownership of their projects, they are more likely to feel invested in their work and motivated to achieve results.
Solicit and act on feedback: Feedback is an essential element of open communication. Employees and managers alike want to feel heard and appreciated. Actively seeking regular feedback from managers about their experiences and challenges demonstrates that you not only value their input but are also committed to improving their work environment.
Do not solicit feedback you do not intend to act on. Not all feedback is created equal, but continuing to ignore feedback from employees leads to a breakdown of trust. Acting on feedback, on the other hand, demonstrates that leadership values their input and fosters a culture of trust.
Engaged managers = engaged employees
Like most successful strategies in business and life, engagement starts at the top and trickles down. If you want engaged employees, you need to ensure that your managers are fully engaged first.
Supporting management and fostering strong manager-employee relationships are essential steps in driving engagement across the organization, ultimately leading to the best results. If you build engagement into every stage of the manager lifecycle, you build a foundation of sustainable success.