The Manager Habit That Drops Team Disengagement from 40% to 1%

I consider myself someone who is influenced more by experience and stories than statistics alone. Yet this one blew my mind. I had felt it to be true, but the magnitude of this research from Gallup(1) is phenomenal—and it’s not new. If you’re a manager (or you’re struggling with one) let this sink in:

• If a manager primarily ignores their direct reports, they're 40% likely to be actively disengaged at work. 

• If they focus on their weaknesses, that risk almost halves to 22%. (Some attention is better than none, even if it's largely negative!).

• But when a manager focuses on their team’s individual strengths? The likelihood of being actively disengaged drops to an astonishing 1%.

Reflecting on your own experience throughout your career, does that feel accurate?

I’ve been fascinated by the gap between academic research on leadership and management and awareness and application in the ‘real world’ for decades. This particular research is over 20 years old, arguably more pertinent than ever, and yet the organisations that adopt this approach remain in the minority.

So why does a strengths-based approach make such a seismic difference? And why do so many leaders resist it?

Why Some Leaders Don't Focus on Strengths

When we talk about focusing on each individual’s strengths, some leaders get nervous. We hear things like:

• “If everyone is allowed to just do the stuff they like, we won’t get the work done.”

• “How can we hit our goals if we’re not trying to improve?”

• “If we only talk about what folks are doing well, they’ll get complacent.”

Here’s why none of these assumptions are true—and why they miss the point entirely.

1. It’s Not About Task Selection

Focusing on strengths doesn’t mean letting employees pick and choose their favourite tasks like a buffet. It means giving clear direction (the what) and then empowering people to leverage their unique abilities to achieve the goal (the how). Employees are adults. They understand the organisation’s objectives but will feel stifled and frustrated if they’re told exactly how to achieve their outcomes. That’s micromanagement. Two thirds of employees say they’ve felt it, no one likes it and no manager believes they do it. When people are allowed to approach their work in a way that plays to their strengths, they feel empowered and are much more likely to come up with new ideas that advance the entire organisation. 

2. Strengths Drive Improvement

Contrary to popular belief, focusing on strengths doesn’t mean ignoring growth or taking our eyes off the KPIs. Humans are wired to improve, especially when they’re succeeding. When someone knows they’re good at something, they lean in harder. They’re motivated to grow and get better. Positive psychology research shows that trying to fix weaknesses is often futile compared to the exponential benefits of leveraging strengths. In other words, investing in what you’re already great at generates better results than obsessing over what you’re not. And there’s a positive knock-on effect for the person giving the positive feedback. If you have ambitious goals to hit, which approach feels most effective?

3. Recognition Spurs Motivation, Not Complacency

Think about the last time someone genuinely recognised your strengths. Did it make you feel complacent? Or did it make you feel seen, valued and driven to do more? Most people would say the latter. When leaders acknowledge what their employees do well, it creates clarity around what good looks like—and gives employees the confidence to do even more of it. It’s not hard to reflect on this and see how true it is of ourselves, yet it seems to get tricky for some leaders as they progress up the organisation. If you’re a ‘command-and-control’ leader, fear kicks in at this point. It seems to become challenging to believe that praising what’s going well when there is still work to be done is a good approach. If that’s you, ask yourself what would motivate you more?

From “Sh*t Sandwich” to Strengths-Based Feedback

Many performance reviews still rely on the “sh*t sandwich”: praise → criticism → praise. Not only is this outdated, it’s counterproductive. Employees see right through it, and instead of feeling inspired, they leave fixating on the negative comments.

Strengths-based feedback is different and sees every interaction as an opportunity to offer something. Too often, managers withhold praise, only offering it when delivering criticism. But when people hear what they’re doing well on a regular basis, they’re more receptive to growth feedback. They feel safe. Valued. Able to hear the tough stuff without spiraling into self-doubt, panic or defensiveness.

For example:

Instead of  “You need to be better at managing your time.”Try: “I’ve noticed how detail-oriented you are, it really elevates the quality of your work. Let’s look at how we can apply that same strength to hit your deadlines more consistently. What might help you keep that high bar and deliver on time?”

This does three things:

• Affirms the employee’s value before diving into improvement

• Links feedback to a strength, not a flaw

• Invites agency, instead of prescribing a fix

This shift is powerful. It acknowledges strengths, builds trust and reframes challenges as opportunities to grow. And it does this without crushing your employee’s confidence. In fact, it creates a desire to find solutions and a clear direction on where to point them.

Reflect on Your Own Experiences

When have you done your best work? When have you felt most motivated, in flow or deeply engaged? Chances are, it wasn’t when someone called out your weaknesses. It was when they recognised your strengths and empowered you to use them.

When have you felt disengaged, frustrated or stuck? Was it because someone focused only on what you weren’t doing well without clear guidance on how to do better?

The best (and worst) leaders leave lasting impressions. 

Employees often remember the managers who saw their potential and gave them the tools to thrive. They also remember the ones who only pointed out flaws or ignored them entirely. All of these experiences shape who we go on to become as managers, too – taking as much from the strong leaders as the poor ones. What do you want your leadership legacy to be? References

(1) Strengthsfinder 2.0 From Gallup, Written by Tom Rath