{"id":10386,"date":"2025-08-08T17:46:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T16:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salomons.coach\/?p=10386"},"modified":"2026-02-19T17:06:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T16:06:44","slug":"when-managers-disengage-how-leadership-apathy-fuels-team-disconnection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salomons.coach\/en\/when-managers-disengage-how-leadership-apathy-fuels-team-disconnection\/","title":{"rendered":"When managers disengage: how leadership apathy fuels team disconnection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After I published my article on \u201cIs it time to stay or move on<\/a>?\u201d<\/em> on LinkedIn<\/a>, \u2014 someone asked a sharp question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhat about disengaged managers?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A great question \u2014 and my quick answer was: “<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Great point and also a growing pattern I think. If they decided not to reflect for whatever reason, I assume at some point their mamager will? At the same time, if tables are turned and the team is asked to reflect, this could become addressed.
In my coaching I have had this a few times Reconnecting to purpose makes the difference. They stay re-engaged or they move on.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On second thought, I really felt the need to dig deeper and deliver evidence on disengaged managers. My thinking is that this turns the table again (an expression used in the previous post a few times).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because if we\u2019re talking about disengagement, we might be looking in the wrong direction.
Maybe it\u2019s not always the employees who\u2019ve checked out.
Maybe it starts with us \u2014 the managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The silent drain of disengaged managers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gallup\u2019s latest State of the Global Workplace (2024)<\/strong> reveals that only 27% of managers<\/strong> are engaged at work, meaning nearly three-quarters lead from a place of disconnection. Other studies show that 70% of a team\u2019s engagement is directly linked to their manager\u2019s engagement level<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In other words, when leaders lose their spark, so do their teams.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s not because managers don\u2019t care \u2014 most started with purpose and ambition. But over time, constant pressure, unclear expectations, and limited reflection space can drain even the best. As Gallup and Harvard Business Review both noted, manager burnout is at record highs<\/strong>, and disengagement spreads quietly but quickly through organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reflection gap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I wrote that \u201cregular career reflection makes you a stronger leader,\u201d I meant exactly this: reflection is not a luxury \u2014 it\u2019s maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disengagement often begins when managers stop asking themselves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n