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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

TLP504: Why Your Team Is Still Disengaged

March 25, 2026

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TLP504: Why Your Team Is Still Disengaged
Mark Crowley’s newest book is The Power of Employee Well-Being: Move Beyond Engagement to Build Flourishing Teams.
For more than a decade, organizations have chased employee engagement – through surveys, gamification, perks, and wellness apps – yet the results haven’t improved. Gallup now reports engagement at a ten-year low. Mark was one of the early voices questioning the engagement movement, and in this conversation he explains why the model itself is flawed.
We talk about what leaders have been measuring incorrectly, what employee well-being actually means, and why the strongest predictor of team performance isn’t compensation, perks, or pressure to produce. It’s belonging.
If you’re seeing burnout, quiet disengagement, or people simply going through the motions, this conversation offers a different lens on leadership—and practical insights you can start applying immediately.
Find episode 504 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: belonging at work, emotional intelligence, employee burnout, Employee Engagement, Employee Motivation, employee well-being, flourishing teams, gallup engagement, hr leadership, human connection at work, hybrid work, lead from the heart, leadership, leadership development, Leadership Lessons, Leadership Podcast, manager accountability, mark c crowley, mark crowley, micromanagement, people management, power of employee well-being, remote work, team cohesion, team performance, we study leaders, work ethic, workplace belonging, workplace culture, workplace emotions

TLP461: Looking for Unicorns: The Hiring Dilemma with Jim and Jan

May 21, 2025

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In this episode, Jim and Jan dive into the critical aspects of leadership and talent development in today’s fast-changing work environment. They discuss how companies often seek “unicorn” candidates with unrealistic expectations—and why focusing on core traits like emotional intelligence, curiosity, and continuous learning is essential. Jim and Jan explore how hybrid work is reshaping…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: adaptability, age bias, career advice, Career Growth, career narrative, clear expectations, communication, continuous learning, cultural fit, Curiosity, emotional intelligence, employers, feedback, hiring challenges, hiring expectations, hiring process, hybrid work, job seekers, leadership, relationship-building, small cities, talent development, team development, tech industry, Topgrading, trust, unicorn candidates, work environment

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Seven beliefs that block every high performer. Mur Seven beliefs that block every high performer. Muriel M. Wilkins spent 22 years coaching C-suite leaders and kept seeing the same patterns surface. The problem isn't that these beliefs exist. It's that they stop working when the context changes, and most leaders don't notice until the damage is done. Which one do you recognize in yourself? Full episode 503 on The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-503?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#LeadershipPodcast #HiddenBlockers #LeadershipUnblocked #ExecutiveCoach #MindsetWork #LeadershipMindset #SelfAwareness #CoachingConversations #ThinkBetter #LeadFromWithin
If you only change the behavior then you don't hus If you only change the behavior then you don't hustle through it, and six months later you're right back at the same wall wondering what went wrong. The behavior was never the problem. The belief driving it was.Muriel M. Wilkins explains it better than most. Ep. 503 on The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-503?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#LeadershipPodcast #HiddenBlockers #LeadershipUnblocked #ExecutiveCoach #MindsetWork #LeadershipMindset #SelfAwareness #CoachingConversations #ThinkBetter #LeadFromWithin
You're a great dad, a loyal friend, a real person You're a great dad, a loyal friend, a real person on Saturday. Then Monday comes and somehow you turn into a different human. Mark Morgenfruh spent 33 years watching it happen and he's got a lot to say about why. Episode 502 is worth your commute. https://bit.ly/TLP-502?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #trustbasedleadership #workplaceculture #leadershippodcast #theleadershippodcast #neverfireanyone
Fear creates dependency, which kills the very inno Fear creates dependency, which kills the very innovation leaders claim they want. It's worth thinking about next time you're in a meeting where everyone's waiting for the boss to have all the answers.Full convo with Nicola Ilic here https://bit.ly/TLP-475?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch the full episode here https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-475?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #anxiety #democraticleadership #innovation #workplace
Anne Marie spent 36 years in sports TV constantly Anne Marie spent 36 years in sports TV constantly reinventing herself. Her secret? She doesn't just accept failure, she seeks it out. If you're succeeding at everything, you're probably playing it too safe.Listen to Anne Marie's full story at https://bit.ly/TLP-474?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch the full episode here https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-474?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Audacity #Failure #Leadership #Resilience #SportsMedia #PodcastLife #Leadership
Twenty-five years ago, Joe Pine predicted the Expe Twenty-five years ago, Joe Pine predicted the Experience Economy. Now he's back to tell us we're already behind again.Joe breaks down why fostering human flourishing is actually the whole point of business, why almost every company can find itself in one of four transformation spheres, and why the companies that figure this out will leave everyone else scrambling.Worth a listen if you're wondering why your pricing model feels stuck. https://bit.ly/TLP-499?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersYou can also watch the episode on YouTube - https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-499?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Leadership #BusinessTransformation #TransformationEconomy #JoePine #Pricing #BusinessModel #TheLeadershipPodcast
Before Will Linssen coaches anyone he runs them th Before Will Linssen coaches anyone he runs them through this. Three simple questions that tell him almost immediately whether this person will be in the 95% who change or the ones who waste everyone's time. The answer has nothing to do with skill level or title. Full episode here - https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-505?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #aileadership #futureofleadership #leadershipdevelopment #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast #shorts #executivecoaching
Steve Taplin doesn't dance around it. The world do Steve Taplin doesn't dance around it. The world doesn't owe you stability anymore. One company, one pension, one career path? That's gone. If you want real control over your future, you need to understand how businesses work and how to sell. Not as a job title, but as a survival skill. Everything else is just hoping someone else takes care of you.Full conversation on The Leadership Podcast now. https://bit.ly/TLP-501?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#TakeControl #EntrepreneurMindset #SalesSkills #BusinessEducation #TheLeadershipPodcast
You can't play it safe and expect your career to t You can't play it safe and expect your career to take off. Steve Taplin coaches people on one simple truth: if you don't take risks, you plateau. But here's the thing most people miss. It's not about being reckless. It's about being calculated while staying honest and ethical. The entrepreneurs who win aren't the biggest gamblers, they're the smartest risk takers.More career wisdom on episode 501. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-501?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#CareerGrowth #TakeRisks #EntrepreneurMindset #SmartRisks #LeadershipAdvice
TLP500: The Leadership Myths We Keep Getting Wrong TLP500: The Leadership Myths We Keep Getting Wrong with Admiral Bill McRaven Our latest episode with Admiral Bill McRaven https://bit.ly/TLP-500?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP500%3A%20The%20Leadership%20Myths%20We%20Keep%20Getting%20Wrong%20with%20Admiral%20Bill%20McRaven #leadership #Leadership #MilitaryLeadership #ServantLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #HumbleLeadership #ResilientLeadership #NavySEAL #SpecialOperations #FourStarAdmiral #UniversityOfTexas #WorkLifeBalance #CrystalBallAnalogy #PressureTesting #CharacterUnderPressure #HardWork #LeadershipHumility
Joe Pine spent 25 years thinking about what comes Joe Pine spent 25 years thinking about what comes after the Experience Economy, and this is what he landed on. Not shareholder value. Not growth metrics. Human flourishing.Hear the whole conversation on episode 499 where Joe breaks down the four spheres of transformation and why your business model might already be obsolete. https://bit.ly/TLP-499?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#HumanFlourishing #BusinessPurpose #Leadership #TransformationEconomy #JoePine #TheLeadershipPodcast
We spend so much time coaching the person at the t We spend so much time coaching the person at the top and zero time asking the people around them if anything actually changed. Will Linssen has data on 100,000 leaders that proves exactly why that doesn't work.Full conversation on TLP505. https://bit.ly/TLP-505?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #leadershipcoaching #leadershipdevelopment #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast #executivecoaching #coaching
Think back to the biggest leap you ever took in yo Think back to the biggest leap you ever took in your career. Chances are someone pushed you into a role before you felt ready, and it turned out to be the moment that defined everything. The hiring system today is almost perfectly built to prevent that from happening. We screen for experience. We pass on talent. And then wonder why the best people aren't showing up. The full conversation goes even deeper on how to redesign work so you stop losing people at the worst possible moment. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-506?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Leadership #CareerDevelopment #TheLeadershipPodcast #SteveCadigan #TalentStrategy #Coaching #HiringStrategy
At 23, Barry Jesinoski got promoted over two peopl At 23, Barry Jesinoski got promoted over two people with 20+ years experience each. He was terrified. His secret? He told them the truth about what he didn't know and what he needed from them. Three decades later, every new Disabled American Veterans (DAV) employee hears these same two priorities from him personally.Listen to the full conversation https://bit.ly/TLP-473?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch the full episode here https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-473?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Leadership #Integrity #Communication #VeteranLeadership #DAV #WorkplaceCulture
Barry Jesinoski's take on remote work might surpri Barry Jesinoski's take on remote work might surprise you, especially his reasoning behind keeping his team mostly in-person. He runs Disabled American Veterans (DAV) headquarters in Kentucky where 180 employees work together daily.Like Barry, sometimes the unpopular stance might be the right one for your organization.#Leadership #RemoteWork #DAV #WorkplaceCulture #VeteranLeadership #TeamBuilding
You think you know how you'll react under fire unt You think you know how you'll react under fire until the stuff actually hits the fan. Admiral McRaven says pressure doesn't build character, it reveals it. The good news? The more you face it, the better you get at not falling apart. Every chance to lead is a chance to find out who you really are, not who you think you are.Listen: https://bit.ly/TLP-500?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Leadership #Pressure #AdmiralMcRaven #Character #TheLeadershipPodcast #NavySEAL #LeadershipDevelopment #Episode500
Most people completely misunderstand what "service Most people completely misunderstand what "service disabled veteran" actually means. Barry Jesinoski breaks down the spectrum from a simple scar to needing full-time care, and why many veterans with this designation don't consider themselves disabled at all. The resilience behind these labels might surprise you.Listen to the full conversation https://bit.ly/TLP-473?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch the full episode here https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-473?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#ServiceDisabledVeteran #VeteranEmployment #DisabledVeterans #DAV #VeteranSupport #HiringVeterans
Jack Welch said if the outside world is changing f Jack Welch said if the outside world is changing faster than the inside, the end is near.Steve Cadigan applies that same logic directly to how you manage people. Most talent playbooks were built for a slower world and nobody has updated them. That gap between how fast things are moving outside and how slow things move inside is exactly where the problem lives. If that lands, the full episode will hit harder. Steve Cadigan on Episode 506 of The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-506?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Leadership #HR #TalentStrategy #TheLeadershipPodcast #SteveCadigan #FutureOfWork
Most leaders treat firing as the final answer when Most leaders treat firing as the final answer when someone isn't working out. Mark Morgenfruh says the real question is why you put them there in the first place. 33 years in HR and this is still the conversation most organizations refuse to have.Listen here - https://bit.ly/TLP-502?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #hrleadership #neverfireanyone #leadershipdevelopment #accountability #theleadershippodcast
TLP507: Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Cha TLP507: Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Changes Everything Our latest episode with Patrick Leddin https://bit.ly/TLP-507?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP507%3A%20Disrupt%20or%20Be%20Buried%3A%20The%20Mindset%20That%20Changes%20Everything #leadership #disruption #leadership #disrupteverything #patrickleddin #jamespattersonbooks #militaryleadership #entrepreneurship #changemanagement #resilience #selfawareness #leadershipdevelopment #positivedisruption #growthmindset #fearofchange #theleadershippodcast #westudyleaders
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  • TLP507: Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Changes Everything
  • TLP506: Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping Talent
  • TLP505: Why Leadership Coaching So Often Fails
  • TLP504: Why Your Team Is Still Disengaged
  • TLP503: 7 Hidden Beliefs That Sabotage Leaders (And How to Break Them) – with Muriel M. Wilkins

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  • Anonymous on TLP500: The Leadership Myths We Keep Getting Wrong with Admiral Bill McRaven

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