Creating Space for Better Managers: Turning Gallup's 70% Into Action

Leading With VOICCE® Series.

How many of the leaders on your team understand how much they influence their own team's engagement?

How many of you are leaders of a team and are now feeling more pressure than ever?

Last week we broke down what the 70% Gallup stat actually means. The gap between engaged and disengaged teams traces back to who's leading them, not to programs, perks, or policy.

Today we explore: What should organizations and managers do to help move the needle toward higher levels of engagement?

What if organizations supported their managers in leading with more presence vs more programs? For decades, conversations around effective leadership were influenced by how adept leaders were at demonstrating and developing skillsets. Today we realize leaders also need to lead with and develop new mindsets. There was a time when leadership was measured by authority. Today, you can't lead effectively without empathy. Trust is paramount. How do we get there? Presence. 

This doesn't look like the training programs from the past. This looks like real, intentional engagement with managers. This means helping managers dive deeper into how they show up as leaders, especially under pressure. Leaders who understand how their energy and leadership style impact others are positioned to lead more effectively. 

Organizations, before adding another "program," help your leaders do the inner work. "Am I showing up as my best self as a leader? Do I understand what that is?"

This is not a one-and-done reflection. This is about building both the awareness and the practice to notice when something has shifted. The more we practice pausing to see ourselves, and how others may be experiencing us, the more space we give ourselves to see the teams we lead. 

Do your teams and people leaders feel seen? This question is especially relevant for many high-achieving leaders. Not just those that lead teams, but the team members that are carrying pressure, expectation, deadlines, and work that expands beyond the scope of their written job description. "I don't need you to fix it, I need you to see it." 

When organizations take the time to acknowledge what their people leaders are carrying, and people leaders pause long enough to see what their team members are carrying, you build an environment of trust, psychological safety, and support. Most teams and leaders that I've worked with want to do a great job. They just don't always feel they have the support or resources to do so. 

When stakes are high and pressure mounts, this simple practice can be one of the easiest to overlook. But it's also one of the most effective. Whether you are a business leader supporting a manager, or a manager supporting a team member, pause and make time for one real conversation with someone on your team this week. Ask: "What's taking up the most mental space for you this week?" or "What do you need that you're not saying?" or "What would make this week feel like a win?"

When people feel safe and protected by the leadership in the organization, the natural reaction is to trust and cooperate." Simon Sinek, Leaders Eat Last.

It doesn't stop there, but it's a powerful place to start. Make genuine check-ins a common practice. The strength comes in not having all the answers, but in caring enough to understand where people feel stuck, then identifying the right resources to help. 

Finally, and the most commonly overlooked - and boy, do I hate the cliché: 'you can't pour from an empty cup'. It's a true statement. That's not why I hate it. I hate when I hear it because I don't think it carries the weight anymore that it deserves. We say it, we know it, but do we actually act on it? Organizations, your managers can't lead people into clarity from a place of depletion. Managers, your team can't give their best if they're not properly resourced.

 This is an organizational challenge, a manager challenge, and an individual challenge. But since managers influence 70% of the variance of their team's engagement, let's start there. 

Managers, before asking "how do I re-engage my team," start by asking "when did I last feel re-engaged myself?" According to Gallup, only 30% of managers report being engaged themselves, so there's a good chance you are also in that 70%, and you may have never paused long enough to name it, let alone to do anything about it. 

Organizations set the conditions. Managers carry the influence. But what if no one comes to tap you on the shoulder and ask if you're okay? Noticing what you need and being honest once you find it is work only you can do. It's also the first act of self-empowerment and leadership, so why not lean into it?

What practice will you use today to move yourself from disengaged to engaged? That's what will let you influence others the way you actually want to. That's where making an impact moves from being a wish to a reality.

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Tian Philson - Leadership Transformation & Decision-Making Coach | Creator of the VOICCE® Decision Making & Empowerment Framework | Helping leaders go inward so they can go upward.