This is how great managers respond to disengaged employees

When team members disengage, most leaders instinctively tighten the reins. It’s an understandable response, but rarely an effective one. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report found that 70% of the variance in team engagement stems directly from the manager. How we respond to disengagement doesn’t affect just one person; it shapes the engagement of everyone around them. Research on Threat Rigidity Theory helps explain the instinct to assert control. Whe...