discovering the lost Heart of Business: A Wake-Up Call for Managers Everywhere

Let’s cut to the chase: managers are checked out. Not all of them, but enough to set off alarm bells from the boardroom to the break room. According to the latest Gallup report, global employee engagement has dropped for the second time since 2009. And the group leading the disengagement parade?

Managers.

When Leaders Lose the Spark

The data doesn’t lie. Gallup’s findings reveal that not only are managers more disengaged than in recent years, they’re now lagging behind their own teams in motivation and commitment. Roughly 35% of managers are engaged at work. That means two-thirds are phoning it in. Not exactly a recipe for a thriving business.

We tend to forget this, but managers are people. And people get tired. Especially the ones who’ve been propping up morale, mediating conflicts, hitting KPIs, and keeping the corporate wheels turning through economic uncertainty, burnout waves, and the work-from-anywhere revolution.

But here’s the real kicker: when managers check out, the damage doesn’t stop with them. Their disengagement trickles down like lukewarm coffee through a broken office machine…slow, bitter, and everywhere.

• Teams become aimless.

• Culture loses cohesion.

• Turnover ticks up.

• Innovation grinds to a halt.

Gallup estimates that low engagement costs the global economy $8.9 trillion annually, or 9% of global GDP. That’s not just a line item, that’s a five-alarm fire.

The Quiet Quitting of Leadership

Let’s talk about the vibe.

Disengaged managers aren’t storming out in dramatic exits or tossing staplers across the room. They’re doing something more insidious: quietly quitting their sense of purpose. And when purpose exits the building, what’s left behind is a vacuum. One that gets filled with task management, not leadership.

These managers still show up to meetings. They still respond to emails. But they’ve gone grayscale. The spark is missing. The “why” behind the work has vanished.

And the result? A generation of team leads who feel more like glorified project trackers than culture shapers.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t about blaming managers. This is about recognizing the system that’s fraying them.

• Lack of development – 51% of managers say they’ve received no formal training in people leadership.

• Misaligned incentives – Promotions are often based on technical performance, not leadership potential.

• Chronic overload – Many managers are player-coaches, juggling deliverables and direct reports simultaneously.

We’ve turned managers into middle-management martyrs. And we wonder why they’re running on fumes.

Reignite, Don’t Replace

Here’s the good news: this is fixable. Profoundly so. Re-engagement is not some lofty ideal, it’s a practical investment with massive ROI.

A manager who is lit up, who feels seen, supported, and connected to purpose, can change the entire trajectory of a team. They don’t need to be perfect. They need to be present. And that presence (real, human, and invested) is contagious.

So how do we get there?

1. Reconnect Managers with Purpose

Not corporate mission statements. Personal purpose. What brought them to leadership in the first place? What values matter most to them? Reignite that spark, and you rewire their engagement.

2. Provide Development That Actually Matters

Skip the checkbox training. Offer coaching that sharpens emotional intelligence, builds resilience, and fosters authentic connection. When managers grow as humans, they lead better. Period.

3. Redesign the Role

If your manager’s calendar looks like a game of Tetris played by someone in crisis, it’s time to rethink the load. Create space for reflection. For strategy. For leading, not just managing.

4. Celebrate Real Wins

Not just revenue milestones. Celebrate conflict handled well. Celebrate courage. Celebrate mentorship. Show that leadership isn’t just output…it’s impact.

The Payoff: Business with a Beating Heart

Here’s where it gets exciting. Companies in the top quartile of employee engagement see:

• 23% higher profitability

• 18% higher productivity

• 43% lower turnover

(Source: Gallup, 2025)

This isn’t fluff. It’s fact. Investing in manager engagement is a strategic, bottom-line decision. It’s also the right thing to do.

Because here’s the truth: when we pour into the people who pour into others, everything changes. Culture shifts. Retention improves. People start looking forward to Mondays again (well, maybe not every Monday, but more than zero).

Let’s Reignite Your Leaders

At DCH Coaching, we specialize in helping leaders rediscover their spark. We don’t do cookie-cutter training. We create custom coaching experiences that reconnect managers to their purpose, their people, and their power.

If you’re ready to stop the quiet quitting of leadership and start a re-engagement revolution, let’s talk. Your managers (and your bottom line) will thank you.

Sources:

• Gallup. (2025). Global Workplace Engagement Falls for Second Time Since 2009. Read the full article