Gallup’s Latest Findings Highlight the Leadership Imperative of Employee Engagement

André recently reflected on the findings of Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report, which revealed that only 20% of employees worldwide feel truly engaged at work.

While organisations have made extraordinary progress in areas such as technology, productivity, and innovation, the challenge of employee engagement remains one of the most significant leadership issues of our time. Even more concerning, global engagement levels have now declined for two consecutive years.

In Leadership with Soul, André writes about the importance of creating organisations where people feel valued, empowered, and inspired to contribute their very best. Sustainable growth and long-term outperformance are only possible when colleagues are fully engaged in the mission and purpose of the business.

For leaders, building a highly engaged workplace cannot be treated as a secondary priority. Engagement is the foundation of innovation, customer intimacy, high performance, and lasting success.

The Gallup findings serve as a powerful reminder that leadership is ultimately about unlocking human potential. When people are engaged, organisations thrive. When engagement is absent, performance inevitably suffers.

Reflecting on the report, André believes that a global engagement level of just 20% should be a call to action for leaders everywhere to create workplaces where every individual can contribute, grow and succeed.