Disengaged And Drained? 5 Leadership Moves That Actually Work In 2025

Forbes

6 days ago

According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, a staggering 79% of employees ... More worldwide are not engaged. But there is hope.
Once upon a time, disengagement was a warning sign.
Today, it's the default.
According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, a staggering 79% of employees worldwide are not engaged—with 17% actively disengaged, meaning they're not just checked out, they're actively working against company goals.
This isn't just about morale. The cost of disengagement for a median S&P 500 company is estimated between $228 million and $355 million annually—or up to $1.8 billion over five years. And it's not just employees who are suffering: managers experienced the sharpest engagement drop of all.
That's a leadership emergency.
But here's the good news: Some organizations are not only staying afloat, they're thriving. What sets them apart isn't a better wellness app or a more persuasive vision statement.
It's reinvention.
From my work both as a scientist and a mining executive, one thing is clear: You cannot solve a 2025 problem with a 2015 leadership model.
So what actually works now?
Here are 5 leadership moves that are delivering real results—increasing engagement, reducing burnout, and building true resilience in a world that's not slowing down.
1. Rewrite the Psychological Contract
Employees today aren't just burned out—they're disillusioned. They've been promised one thing ('we just need to get through this transformation') only to find the next disruption already knocking.
In my recent Harvard Business Review article, 'Constant Change Is Rewriting the Psychological Contract with Employees,' I explored this shift. The old contract—'Help us through this change, and then things will stabilize'—no longer holds. In a world of constant turbulence, employees need honesty, alignment, and a new deal.
That means:
• Making reinvention part of everyone's job, not a separate initiative.
• Creating safe spaces for dialogue—like Beeline Kazakhstan's bi-weekly 'ask me anything' sessions and 'soft kill' product decisions.
• Dedicating time to trend-watching, scenario planning, and skill-sharing across all levels.
→ Leadership move: Openly discuss how your organization is adapting the psychological contract to fit today's reality. This isn't just communication—it's restoration of trust. 2. Shift from Resistance to Reinvention Mindset
When people view change as a threat, they brace for impact. But when they see change as normal—and potentially exciting—they lean in.
That's why, at Reinvention Academy, we tested 15-minute reinvention tools with over 20,000 professionals globally. The results speak volumes:
• 97.7% reported increased confidence in uncertainty
• 95.5% improved their readiness to handle new challenges
• 86.4% developed new ideas for reinventing products, services, or processes
Just 15 minutes. Once a week. That's all it takes to begin changing the narrative around change itself.
→ Leadership move: Incorporate one simple mindset-reset exercise each week. Use it to reframe uncertainty from threat to opportunity. Over time, this creates a culture that doesn't just endure change—it grows from it.3. Elevate Managers as Culture Multipliers
Gallup's 2025 report shows a worrying trend: managers are more disengaged than ever, dragging teams down with them. And yet, these same managers are the single most powerful influence on team morale, performance, and retention.
The fix isn't micromanagement. It's elevation.
Your managers need tools, trust, and time to be what we call at Reinvention Academy 'culture multipliers'—people who don't just cascade KPIs, but embody reinvention and lead by example.
In 'Surviving Uncertainty: 5 Strategies To Stay Sane, Sharp And Financially Sound,' I shared how a team's adaptability hinges not on tools alone, but on the emotional and strategic fluency of their direct leaders.
→ Leadership move: Invest in managers as the frontline reinvention agents. Give them autonomy to adapt processes—and emotional support to lead through exhaustion.4. Make Reinvention a Daily Habit, Not a Year-End Initiative
Too many organizations still treat strategy, innovation, and change as three different departments. In reality, they're one system—and that system needs to move continuously.
In 'The New Corporate Playbook: 5 Trends Changing The Rules Of The Game In 2025,' I explained how companies are shifting from episodic change to continuous reinvention—a rhythm of listening, adapting, and evolving in real time.
Whether it's through agile strategy sprints, weekly 'what's shifting?' team huddles, or regular product kill sessions, the goal is to normalize the act of letting go and starting fresh.
→ Leadership move: Build micro-reinvention cycles into your operating model. Don't wait for disruption—lead it.5. Design Energy-Rich Workflows (Not Just Efficient Ones)
We often think of productivity as a time issue. But today, it's an energy issue.
Disengaged teams aren't always overwhelmed—they're under-inspired. The best-performing leaders I've worked with design energy-rich work environments:
• Meetings that have purpose (or don't exist at all)
• Workflows that include reflection, not just reaction
• Cultures where contribution is measured by impact, not just hours
I've been to team meetings that include a round of Wordle and laughed at the 'Thursday Meme' exchange that brought the energy of the team way up.
It's not soft. It's strategic.
→ Leadership move: Audit your workflows for emotional ROI. Ask: 'Does this system give people energy—or drain it?' Then redesign accordingly.The Bottom Line
In 2025, most of your employees aren't burned out because they're weak.
They're burned out because they're operating in old systems that no longer work.
So don't throw another motivational poster on the wall.
Roll up your sleeves—and start with something real.
Even 15 minutes a week can reset a mindset, spark a new idea, or reignite a team.
With trust. With clarity. With reinvention at its core.
Because your people aren't really disengaged.They're waiting—for leadership that works.