It’s September – my favorite month of the year! Maybe because it’s my birthday month, or because the fall begins in September, as do lots of other things. Now that I’ve been able to manage my mental load by practicing what I preached in August, I’m kicking off the fall in a serial way…starting with this email. I want to share a series of insights and ideas from Gallup’s newest report that I recently uncovered about employee engagement (or lack thereof).
Published in March, Gallup’s Employee Engagement Strategies for 2026 notes that only 31% of U.S employees were engaged at work in 2025, and that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in team engagement. They found that only 18% of employees say they’re extremely satisfied with their employer, and more than half are quietly ‘keeping an eye on the exit.’
For context, Gallup defines engagement as ‘psychologically invested in their work and workplaces.’ What I observe in my coaching work is that managers/leaders (the variants) are more disillusioned than disengaged. Many are engaged in their work but in many workplaces, the engagement is driven more because of the sheer amount of work they have. Yet they don’t feel fully in control of the workload, which leads to disillusionment.
Gallup’s data also shows that organizations where employees are engaged (because the work is engaging and the workload is manageable) have higher profitability, less absenteeism, less turnover, and stronger results across nearly every metric that matters. For leaders, this makes employee ‘engagement’ a strategic imperative for driving performance.
This 6-email series over the next 3-months will explore Gallup’s research through the lens I know best: self-aware leadership. Because the throughline I see in every one of Gallup’s findings is that the leader/manager is the variable, and there are things that they can, in fact, control:
Here’s What We’ll Cover Over the Next Several Newsletters:
⛓️💥 The Four Themes As To Why Employees Are Detached, Including:
- Not feeling connected to their teams/culture
- Lack of clear, honest, transparent communication from leaders
- Lack of investment in the right resources, tools, people and pay
- Lack of performance feedback, recognition and development opportunities
Self-aware leaders know the importance of addressing each of these themes, and have effective leadership behaviors and practices to do so.
💎 Encouraging AI Adoption Through Clarity (Not Fear)
AI initiatives are showing up in the workplace faster than most leaders are preparing their teams for them. Implemented without intention, an AI organizational strategy can deepen employee confusion about what’s expected of them, and heighten insecurity about the long-term viability of their roles. Self-aware leaders understand the importance of transparency and building a culture of adoption and high-performance through effort and commitment.
🎯 Addressing What Talent Development Companies Need Versus What They are Delivering
Speaking of AI adoption, gaps in employees skills and talents needed for succession planning are now a top concern for 59% of CHROs. Yet organizations still focus on one-time learning events, periodic workshops and scheduled reviews to meet these development needs, rather than ongoing practices and opportunities to learn and grow at work. Self-aware leaders know the development opportunities for individuals and teams alike, and actively work to support them.
Referring back to my original observation that managers and leaders are engaged in their work but in many organizations, that engagement is driven by workload, I’ll leave you to ponder the question “are you a self-aware leader that drives engagement or fosters disillusionment?”
I hope you will follow this newsletter series to find out.
See you in two weeks!
Loretta
If you’re a leader who already thinks you might be fostering disillusionment, then why wait for the series? We have spots available in our high-touch, low-cost Self-Aware Leader Accelerator 3- and 6-month coaching programs. Our enhanced, digital 360-degree feedback platform features new development resources and an action plan template that can help you strengthen employee engagement and build a high-performing culture.
Check out my website and subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more resources to help you meet your learning objectives and be your best self in 2026.