Why Leadership Impact Can’t Wait

I define leadership impact as when intention matches output. When desire matches result. When all systems are go and working in harmony - and, spoiler alert, it pays itself forward, creating more impact and engagement that propel you and teams to next.

Sound like a dream? I’m here to tell you it is real - and within reach. Sadly, you just haven’t been shown how to get there.

If you’re reading this post, you probably have a suspicion that something is off or that something more is possible. This might look like -

• Your team isn’t engaged in the way you want or suspect they are capable of, or at the levels they used to be…

• You are craving something next for your own leadership, but can’t quite put your finger on what that thing is...

• You’ve been told you have potential but don’t know yet how to put it in practice so that you can achieve a level up role, a larger scope, or more satisfaction day to day…

Here’s the data (source links at bottom):

• Employee engagement has stagnated at roughly 1 in 3 people actively engaged, 1 in 3 actively disengaged, and that final third somewhere in the middle*. That middle third presents opportunity because they can be convinced, but without that work they stay in apathy at the least and at worst, skew toward active disengagement.

• Companies with low engagement scores experience lower productivity and lower profitability, often driven by high absenteeism on top of disengagement. When engagement scores are high, profitability multiples - up to 23% greater than disengaged teams*. So it isn’t just about making up a loss, it’s about achieving greater impact.

• The relationship with one’s manager is one of the most important predictors of employee engagement - impacting up to 70% of our total sentiment about how we feel at work*.

• Again and again, surveys show us that themes driving low engagement include inadequate clarity & transparency in communication, lack of meaningful recognition (hint-it isn’t pizza parties), and concrete, personalized development **.

So managers - given the outsized impact you have on the employee experience, how have you been set up for success? You probably know you and your team deserve better than this, but where is the playbook on how to get there?

You’ve got some choices. You can wait for “corporate” to get back to you with the next program on how to engage your team, however, those solutions are likely to be big picture and not fit for your team’s unique needs. You can share the results with your team and say inspiring words about how we are all in it together and hope for the best. You’re probably already doing that.

Or, you can take control within your own approach and make concrete links that will increase your leadership impact, AND create a shared framework for teams to support their own outcomes. This is leadership in action, and this waits for no one but YOU. I’m here to tell you - once you find your way there, you will never go back.

This is hard work, because the gap between where you are and where you want to go is covered with fog and brambles. It’s unclear - it’s scary - and it requires courage, vulnerability, and often a big leap to get there. But with that leap comes specific, sustained development for you and results that pay you and your team back with dividends. Working with me as your leadership impact coach will allow you to hone the skills you have, explore uncharted territory, challenge the paradigms and playbooks of leadership you’ve been shown up to now, and unleash you to the kind of impact you’re dreaming of.

Let’s go.

- K

*Forbes, author Kara Dennison with data from Gallup studies, published 7/16/2024

**Gallup, Workplace Advisory summary & recommendations