If we want our businesses to thrive in 2026, we have a BIG choice to make now—invest in leadership and management training or risk the consequences of inaction.
Employee engagement in companies and practices is on the brink. Why? Because managers’ engagement is on the decline. And when managers struggle, their team struggles. When managers thrive, so do their teams. And when teams thrive, so do the businesses they support.
How do I know this?
Every year, Gallup produces a “State of the Global Workplace” report which seeks to understand employees and inform leaders. This year’s report was just released with some disturbing information.
Gallup surveyed 227,000 workers in 160 countries. Among other metrics, they asked these questions:
- I know what is expected of me at work.
- I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
- At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
- In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
- My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
- There is someone at work who encourages my development.
- At work, my opinions seem to count.
- The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
- My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
- I have a best friend at work.
- In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
- This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
In 2024, the global percentage of engaged employees fell from 23% to 21%. Engagement has only fallen twice in the past 12 years (in 2020 and 2024). Last year’s two-point drop in engagement was equal to the decline during the year of COVID-19 lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders.
What caused the decline in engagement? Managers. Manager engagement fell from 30% to 27%. Individual contributor engagement remained flat at 18%. No other worker category — male or female, young or old — experienced as significant a decline. However, two types of managers were particularly affected: Young (under 35) manager engagement fell by five percentage points; female manager engagement dropped by seven points.
When employees are engaged, they are more productive at work. They are absent less and produce more. They build better customer relationships and close more sales. So, what engages work teams the most? Their manager.
If managers are disengaged, their teams are, too. This relationship is so strong that it shows up in country-level data: Countries with less engaged managers are more likely to have less engaged individual contributors. If manager engagement continues to decline, it won’t stop with managers, and it won’t stop with engagement. The productivity of the world’s workplace is at risk.
So what did Gallup suggest as a remedy for this massive decline in manager and, subsequently, employee engagement? Pretty much the same song we’ve been singing at LionSpeak for the past several years:
- Ensure all managers receive training to cut extreme manager disengagement in half. Less than half of the world’s managers (44%) say they have received management training. The most achievable opportunity for leaders is to provide basic role training for every manager. Manager development has declined globally in recent years, and most managers say they have not received any training for their jobs. However, half as many managers who receive training are actively disengaged as those who are not trained. (Gallup defines actively disengaged employees as those who work against the aims of the organization.) This finding suggests that even rudimentary training in role responsibilities can stop a manager from feeling like they are drowning.
- Teach managers effective coaching techniques to boost manager performance by 20-28%. Some managers have a natural gift for inspiring and developing people, but many do not. The good news is that effective coaching can be taught. A Gallup study found that participants in a manager training course which is focused on management best practices experienced up to 22% higher engagement than non-participants. In addition, the teams led by those participants saw engagement rise by up to 18%. Manager performance metrics improved between 20 to 28%. These results were found 9-18 months after training, suggesting that the influence of manager training may have a lasting effect.
- Increase manager wellbeing by 32% through ongoing manager development. When employers provide manager training, it improves manager thriving levels from 28% to 34%. However, if they have training and someone at work actively encourages their development, manager thriving increases even further to 50%. When we consider the additional influence of great managers on their teams, manager training and development may be one of the most effective “wellbeing initiatives” employers can invest in.
The choice for company owners, CEO’s, and business executives is simple: Invest in the future of management or risk the consequences of inaction.
This note from Gallup’s CEO, Jon Clifton, about the report truly sums up the choice ahead:
We are witnessing a pivotal moment in the global workplace — one where engagement is faltering at the exact time artificial intelligence is transforming every industry in its path. While few employees have harnessed AI’s full potential, its rapid advance will force every organization to adapt, whether they are ready or not. This presents a defining challenge for leaders and managers: Will they seize AI’s opportunities to energize their workforce, or will they risk falling behind? Gallup’s 2025 Global State of the Workplace Report offers what may be our last snapshot of a workforce on the cusp of seismic change. The data show that employees — particularly managers — feel disconnected, which does not bode well for their preparedness for a future shaped by AI. And at the same time, the very tools that might boost engagement and performance are arriving with astonishing speed. The question, then, is how to master AI in ways that spark growth: equipping managers and teams with the resources to excel, offering abundant opportunities for development, and reconnecting everyone to a shared mission. Alternatively, if mishandled, AI could diminish engagement by severing the vital human bonds — friendships at work, a sense of being heard and genuine care from colleagues — that keep teams thriving. We stand at the edge of a new era of work. With thoughtful leadership and strong, empowered managers, AI can elevate human potential rather than diminish it. Let this report be your road map — and a call to action — as you navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Don’t wait. If you’ve not yet provided leadership communication training for yourself or your leaders, do it now. Our Leadership Academy and Leadership Mastery programs are specifically designed to give more than information. We are dedicated to facilitating actual leadership application resulting in a total team transformation. It’s not hard. You just need the skills, and this is the place to get them. Contact us today!
