Keeping your team engaged is one of the most important jobs of a leader, but also one of the easiest to get wrong, and many managers are showing up, assigning tasks, even checking in regularly, yet their teams still feel disconnected.
According to Gallup’s 2024 report, only 23% of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work. This lack of engagement doesn’t always stem from laziness or lack of skill; more often, it reflects deeper issues in how people are being led.
When employees feel unheard, micromanaged, or undervalued, their motivation quietly fades, and while it’s easy to blame workload or company culture, the real turning point usually begins with leadership. So, if your team feels like it’s running on autopilot, it’s worth reflecting on how your leadership style might be impacting their energy and commitment.
Here are seven subtle but damaging leadership mistakes that could be draining employee engagement, and what you should be doing instead to reignite their drive.
1. Micromanaging Instead of Empowering
Micromanagement may come from good intentions, but it sends the clear message that you don’t trust your team to carry out tasks without you. Over time, this chips away at your team’s confidence, ownership, and creativity, and when they feel like they’re constantly being watched or second-guessed, they stop taking initiative, which is where engagement begins to fade.
Great leaders focus on clarity instead of control, so set expectations, give room for execution, and trust your people to get things done. Let your employees have an ownership mindset so they become more invested.
2. Poor Communication
Communication isn’t just about sharing updates; it’s about building clarity and connection. When it only flows from the top down, teams are often left misaligned, uncertain, or disconnected from the bigger picture.
This is especially common in high-pressure workplaces where “just get it done” replaces proper feedback loops. This is why, as a leader, you need to listen just as much as you talk, opening up space for real conversations, pulse checks, and anonymous feedback. By doing this, your team doesn’t just feel heard; they are also willing to hear you.
3. Ignoring Employee Development
It’s hard to stay excited about work when you feel like you’re stuck in the same place.
Many organisations push development to the back burner until performance drops, but by then, it’s often too late. Instead, make learning part of your culture by offering workshops, mentorships, short courses, or shadowing opportunities. Even on a budget, there are ways to upskill your team, and as long as you show them you’re invested in their future, they will be invested in their output.
4. Lack of Recognition and Appreciation
People want to be seen, and when employees feel invisible, their effort drops alongside their enthusiasm. Acknowledging someone’s contribution doesn’t always require a grand gesture; a sincere thank you or a quick mention in a team meeting can go a long way.
Research shows that when recognition hits the mark, employees are five times as likely to feel connected to their workplace culture and four times more likely to be engaged. Leaders who consistently recognise hard work don’t just boost morale, they create teams that feel valued, not used. That’s why recognition should be part of your daily rhythm, not just reserved for an annual award ceremony.
5. Not Acting on Feedback
Asking for feedback and then doing nothing with it is worse than not asking at all. It tells employees that their voices don’t matter, and nothing crushes engagement faster than that.
Even when you can’t implement every idea, closing the loop matters, so be sure to share what you heard, explain what you’ll do next, and acknowledge what isn’t feasible. This transparency builds a level of trust that fosters engagement.
6. Favoritism and Bias
Nothing kills team spirit like seeing one person get special treatment while others are overlooked. Whether intentional or not, bias in promotions, project assignments, or praise creates a culture of resentment and disengagement.
Leaders need to constantly check their blind spots, so be intentional about inclusion and make sure opportunities are based on merit, not familiarity. When everyone feels they have a fair shot, they show up with more heart.
7. Overlooking Work-Life Balance
In today’s hustle culture, especially in many Nigerian organisations, overworking is often worn like a badge of honour, but this same badge is burning people out.
When leaders expect their teams to be “always on,” they’re not driving productivity; instead, they’re draining it. What you can do for your team is to respect after-hours boundaries, encourage real breaks, and lead by example when it comes to rest. A well-rested employee is not only more engaged but also more creative, resilient, and loyal.
How to Intervene Before It’s Too Late
By the time you start noticing disengagement patterns like missed deadlines, low energy, or high turnover, the damage may already be in motion, however, it’s not irreversible. The key is to move from passive observation to active intervention fast, and here’s how you can start shifting the tide towards employee engagement:
1. Conduct stay interviews, not just exit interviews
Instead of waiting until people resign to ask why they’re leaving, check in while they’re still around. Quarterly stay interviews help you understand what’s working, what’s frustrating, and what might drive them out if left unchecked.
2. Make engagement a shared metric
If engagement is only HR’s problem, it stays a side project, but when it becomes part of leadership KPIs alongside performance, revenue, or output, then it gets the attention it deserves. To this end, managers should be accountable for team morale, not just numbers.
3. Re-onboard long-term employees
Disengagement often creeps in when people feel disconnected from purpose. Hosting re-onboarding sessions for long-serving employees can refresh their sense of alignment and introduce them to evolving goals, values, or initiatives they may not feel part of anymore.
4. Use data beyond surveys
Engagement isn’t just about how people feel; it’s also about how they show up. Look at absenteeism patterns, drop-offs in meeting participation, late task submissions, and collaboration breakdowns. These are signs that can speak louder than survey answers.
5. Bring in an external perspective
Sometimes, the internal culture has been broken for so long, it’s hard to see the cracks from within. An external HR advisory team can audit your current engagement strategy, assess leadership blind spots, and recommend tailored, culture-first interventions.
In conclusion…
Employee engagement doesn’t happen by accident; it’s built, day by day, in how you lead, the meetings you run, the way you communicate, the trust you show, and the culture you model.
If you’ve seen signs of disengagement in your team, don’t panic, just reflect. These mistakes are common, but they’re also fixable, and the sooner you spot them, the sooner you can shift the culture.
Want to rebuild trust, motivation, and performance in your workforce? Book a free consultation with our HR Advisory team at Proten International. Let’s help you lead better so your people can work smarter, stay longer, and perform stronger.
