HR professionals indicated that only half of the leadership development programs they supervised were connected to business priorities. Only 35 percent of HR leaders report that their leaders have high-quality, effective development plans, and less than half of them report that their leaders have regular reviews of that plan with their manager, or a sequenced leadership development program (versus independent events). No wonder many are unclear about their leadership path and feel they must leave the organization if they are to advance! Globally, intent to leave has increased for 16 percent of respondents, but decreased for 36 percent, with 48 percent unchanged. Millennial leaders are slightly more inclined to leave than leaders in other generations. HR responses revealed that attrition for high potentials was lower (11 percent) than that for all leaders (13 percent).

To Raise Employee Engagement Levels, HR Needs to Step Up

HR needs to do a better job of supporting these leaders because disengagement is infectious. And a toxic culture can take years to rebuild. Engagement—and in turn, retention—doesn’t happen by accident. It takes concerted organizational effort, a motivated leader, and employees who take responsibility for their own engagement. We also found a link between collaborative cultures and higher retention.

Leaders at all levels need support. Fifty-eight percent have never had a mentor (though 53 percent mentor others) and, perhaps more disturbing in a global work world, 72 percent have never had an international assignment.

Here’s good news: When rating their effectiveness in using inspiration (motivating increased employee energy and effort) and empathy (deepening relationships with others by perceiving and acting on their emotions), 94 percent of leaders said they were at least moderately effective in using both skills, which are hallmarks of an engaging leader. Critically, they want to lead—71 percent see it as a leader’s role as custodian of the organization’s purpose to a great or very great extent. Almost three-quarters of these leaders support critical activities aligned with purpose. Over half of the companies represented have articulated vision, mission, and purpose statements; conversely, only 38 percent have an employee value proposition. Here, leaders can play a crucial role in making the connection between the job an employee does and the organization’s vision, mission, and purpose—a significant engagement driver.

The findings in this study corroborate engagement-related research at The Conference Board*. The 12 behaviors mastered by highly engaging leaders include:

Provides a strong sense of meaning and direction by:

1. Developing a compelling vision of what people can accomplish.

2. Communicating in a way that brings people along.

3. Setting a clear strategic direction for direct reports.

Brings out collective brilliance by:

4. Building trust and acting with integrity.

5. Challenging the status quo and inspiring creativity.

6. Fostering a culture of collaboration.

Builds a high-performance environment by:

7. Setting high standards.

8. Creating a sense of urgency.

9. Empowering employees.

Unlocks employees’ full potential by:

10. Building relationships one person at a time.

11. Providing clear and consistent rewards/recognition.

12. Driving development and growth.

* Ray, R.L., Hyland, P., Pressman, A., Dye, D.A., & Kaplan, J. (2016, February), DNA of Engagement: How Organizations Build and Sustain Highly Engaging Leaders, New York, The Conference Board, https://www.conference-board.org