Leaders have long been recognized as a key driver of organizational success. They translate strategy into action, shape the employee experience, and influence whether people stay, perform, or disengage.

In the past, research has shown that managers tended to be more engaged than individual contributors. But recent data suggests that may be changing.

According to Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report, the largest year-over-year drop in manager engagement occurred between 2024 and 2025—declining five points from 27% to 22%. In short, managers once benefited from an “engagement premium,” but are now increasingly only as engaged as the employees they lead.

The Loss of the Engagement Premium

This idea of an “engagement premium” is important.

Historically, being a manager came with not only increased responsibility, but also greater connection. They were more connected to purpose, influence, and growth opportunities, but that premium is now shrinking.

Why Manager Engagement Matters

Manager engagement is not a standalone metric. It is a multiplier. When managers are engaged, they create clarity, build trust, and foster accountability. They coach more effectively, communicate more consistently, and model the behaviours organizations are trying to scale.

When they are not, the impact ripples outward. Disengaged managers often lead to disengaged teams.

What’s Driving the Decline?

Workplaces have become more complex, and the pace of change is exponential.

• Decision-making is more often centralized, leaving managers accountable for outcomes they have might have limited authority to shape.
• In many domains, administrative or operational demands can consume increasing amounts of time, crowding out meaningful leadership work like coaching, developing people, and driving performance.
• The emotional load has grown significantly. Managers are expected to support mental health, navigate interpersonal dynamics, and lead through uncertainty, all while maintaining their own resilience.

Much of this emotional labour is invisible, but impactful. What emerges is a role that is heavier, more complex, and, in many cases, less rewarding.

A Gap Between Expectation and Enablement

In working with client organizations, one pattern is clear: manager disengagement is rarely about a lack of effort or intent. More commonly, it’s a lack of enablement.

Most managers really want to lead well. They care about their teams and take their responsibilities seriously. But over time, the gap between what is expected of them and how they feel supported becomes wider.

Disengagement doesn’t happen overnight. It builds when capable, committed individuals feel they are not given what they need to be effective.

Understanding the Root Causes

Manager disengagement is rarely driven by a single factor. It is often the result of interconnected factors.  Things like organizational structure, leadership expectations, workload, culture, and capability gaps can be instrumental.

Without understanding these root causes, even well-intentioned initiatives can miss the mark.

Organizations that take a more diagnostic approach through climate assessments, manager-specific engagement insights, or leadership competency evaluations are better positioned to move beyond assumptions and toward evidence-based decisions reflecting their unique workplace context.

So, What Can Organizations Do?

Reversing this trend starts with a shift in perspective: from expecting more of managers to better enabling them.

This means:

• Listening to and understanding your unique work environment.
• Clarifying decision rights and expanding manager autonomy where it is possible and appropriate
• Reducing operational or administrative burdens to create space for meaningful leadership work
• Building leadership capability through practical, ongoing development—not one-time training
• Acknowledging and supporting the emotional demands of the role
• Designing systems and structures that align expectations with support

Manager engagement is not just nice to have; it is foundational to your organization’s performance in both the short and long term.

If managers are no longer experiencing an engagement premium, it’s a signal that the role has changed, expectations have outpaced support and that organizations have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to rethink how they enable leadership.

Because when managers thrive, teams thrive. And when teams thrive, organizations succeed.