The cost of ineffective leaders is staggering. The Gallup Organization’s research on employee
engagement finds that approximately 29% of employees are engaged, 55% are not engaged, and 16% are actively disengaged. This data is based on more than three million employees in companies around the world. Gallup estimates that the 16% actively disengaged employees in the United States cost $350 billion in lost productivity in 2002.

Finding ways to increase employee engagement can significantly affect organizational productivity. Leaders have, by far, the largest impact on levels of engagement.