Leadership Trend: Is There a Lack of Engagement At the Top?
As leaders, we are familiar with discussing people issues with our Executive team. We want to retain top talent and keep them engaged. But, what if the trend now is the actual leaders themselves are feeling a lack of engagement and motivation? As an Executive Coach, I am seeing that trend with some top leaders. If you or others in your organization are feeling this way, here are some things I want you to know.
First of all, if you are experiencing this issue, you are not alone. We are really in the midst of a perfect storm when it comes to engagement and motivation. Consider that during the COVID pandemic, a period of high uncertainty and fear for many organizations, leaders had to step up and navigate this unknown terrain and keep their troops engaged and calm.
We had to rally on a lot of days when we likely felt we had no more energy left to give. But we had to do it, we were in the midst of an ongoing crisis. Then life returned to more of a normal way of being, but there was no time to rest as we were thrown back into business and life expectations as per usual.
We began running our kids around to all their sporting, school, and social events again. We are thrilled about this for them because we know it is great for their mental health. But, we are now operating from a significant energy deficit. Then a recession hits. Not only are there cutbacks within our companies around people, but also around support for us as leaders.
For some of the companies I work with, Executive Coaching was on the chopping block. I had leaders out of desperation hiring me themselves out-of-pocket as they were concerned for their mental health and their ability to lead when they knew they were running on empty. But let’s face it, a lot of people don’t put themselves as a top priority to reach out and pay for their own development so they stagger along in silence and hope things get better. Except they don’t, and here’s why.
When people are running on a resilience and energy deficit, they are operating on empty. There is little in the tank to give to others let alone themselves. They have to lead and live in a place of energy conservation mode as a means of survival, whether they are aware of it or not, and then if they don’t find a way to fill up their tanks, the next step can often be health problems. The body will only let this madness carry on for so long, and then it says, “You are stopping, and I am going to make you.” You obviously want to intervene before that happens both from an individual and organizational standpoint.
The danger from the organizational view, is they are often unaware that their leaders are experiencing this lull. Nobody is talking about it. You don’t want to appear to be unmotivated during a tough job market so you carry on the best you can. But the cost to organizations of having leaders who are unmotivated/engaged is huge. And not only does this impact leaders but it also trickles down to everyone who works there.
According to a recent workplace report by Gallup, employee perception of employer care and concern has plummeted to pre-pandemic levels. Currently, only about 25% of employees feel cared for, and only 32% of employees are engaged at work.
So if you feel like you are operating on autopilot as a leader or just a general sense that you are feeling burnt out/unmotivated or lack of engagement, what do you do?
First step is acknowledging that it is an issue and it is not going to get better unless you make strides to help yourself. Knowing that this is a ‘thing’ and you are not alone is sometimes an important part of the process to help people get on the path to course correcting this.
Talk about it. In safe environments, share your concerns and ask HR to do unanimous surveys of leaders specifically to measure if this is an issue at your company. This will help build the business case for support for leaders on this topic.
Work with an Executive Coach who prioritizes mental health/engagement and physical well-being as a part of the strategic solution for strong leadership development. I developed the Strategic Whole Life Management Model of Coaching after experiencing a brain injury 12 years ago and experienced firsthand the impact that our personal well-being has on our ability to be strong leaders. The goal for clients in my Coaching programs is to further strengthen their leadership as well as their lives in all dimensions. When we feel more filled up and have a greater sense of happiness and peace from the work we do, it impacts everything. Taking care of our well-being and mental health is not a nice to do, it is a strategic advantage just as important as work around helping leaders become stronger building relationships, enhancing their brand, or delivering persuasive presentations.
Consider what small steps you can take today to begin to fill up your tank. Is it going to a conference? Or maybe it is building in a 15-minute walk each day? What are things that bring you joy and make you feel excited about your job and life? The idea is you want to keep putting in more deposits into your energy reserves to help fill you up. You have been withdrawing for many years to help motivate others and now is your time to take care of yourself, too. I won’t recite the oxygen mask thing as we have all heard it many times, but you get where I am going here.
Take a relaxing vacation away from home. Staycations often lead to doing housework and before you know it, you are back on your laptop. You need to get a work detox for a short while. Absence in this instance really does make the heart grow fonder. My challenge to you is to get off the technology completely. I did that this summer when I went to Arrowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park and there was no cell service or internet available. It was amazing! And my Mom and kids had the landline number of the resort in case of emergency. Remember, we all survived just fine before the days of constantly being attached to our cell phones.
Shake things up. I am a big believer in morning rituals. If you don’t have one, try it out yourself. If you do have one, maybe it is time to add something to it. Start your day in a way that energizes you and feels good to your mind and body.
Cardio - Yes, you heard me, cardio can help improve your leadership engagement. Research shows that doing even a few minutes of cardio a day has a positive influence on our mood and energy levels. I have actually started trying to increase my heart rate more. For years, I walk my dog each morning for 5-8 km and then do weights 2-3 times a week. I may throw in a bike ride in the summer. But, my heart rate barely increases on my fast dog walks. Why? Because I do it every day and my body is familiar with it. So now I try to do some walk/runs or more bike rides or add some quick movements between my weight lifting sets. I do this because I want to feel more energy and a more positive mindset.
Consistency is key. Going on a vacation once a year is better than nothing but doing things more regularly is going to make a bigger impact. I attend silent retreats 3 to 4 a year. Each time, I go away for 48 hours and I don’t have anyone ask me for anything. There are no to-do’s. No schedule. Nothing. For me, as a sole parent and a busy entrepreneur, I came to a burning realization that I needed to do this to help me survive. I was go-go in all areas of my life and that is not sustainable for anyone no matter how efficient or smart you may be. Take it from someone who knows, the sooner you can intervene with this leadership burnout and lack of energy/motivation, the easier the course correction will be. You are completely worth it!
Development Opportunities:
Are you ready to take the leap to elevate your development? Find out more about my Executive, Life, and Career Coaching Programs!!
