S8 E14: Why Employees Disengage (and How Leaders Can Change the Experience) with Wahaj Awad
The Inspire PodcastShow Notes
Only about 1 in 5 Canadian employees are engaged at work. So what’s causing so many people to check out, and how much of a difference can leadership really make?
In this episode, Bart speaks with Wahaj Awad, Consultant with Humance and The Humphrey Group, about the everyday experiences that shape how people feel at work: a lack of support, limited growth opportunities, and a growing sense of isolation.
Wahaj explores how leaders can make a meaningful difference by leading with intention, adopting a coaching mindset, and adapting their leadership style to the needs of their people. Through practical examples and leadership frameworks, Wahaj shows how small shifts in everyday leadership can help employees feel more supported, connected, and empowered to succeed.
Bart and Wahaj also discuss why high performers don’t automatically become effective leaders, why delegating work isn’t the same as giving real ownership, and why leadership is something that has to be practised, not perfected.
It’s a practical conversation about the small, everyday choices that can shape whether people simply get through work, or actually feel engaged in it.
Additional Resources: Who's Got the Monkey?, a helpful resource on the difference between delegating tasks and delegating ownership. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/OwNnydS-qw0?si=ppb6Yzd33e0jcywp
Show Notes: 00:15 Show intro 00:53 Welcoming Wahaj 01:55 Bart discusses Humance and how they met 04:12 Bart asks: Why doesn't work bring more joy and fulfillment? 05:40 Wahaj on the broad topic of work satisfaction 05:52 In Canada, only 21% of people are engaged at work 06:37 The study of how to make work better 07:16 3 major trends in job satisfaction: 07:28 People feel unsupported 08:02 Some performance issues are actually environment problems 08:56 70% of employee engagement can be tied to the manager 09:24 2: People feel stuck and the great detachment 11:17 3: People feel lonely 12:15 Bart asks how remote work fits into this 13:36 It's not proximity, but rather intentional moments of connection 14:24 Bart asks: How can people get beyond disengagement? 15:05 A leader can't fix everything for people, but... 15:33 Bart reviews the stats on the importance of leadership 16:33 Thinking about leaders who have really affected you 17:17 "They believed in me" 17:53 Intention: What do you actually think your job is as a leader? 18:50 Leadership is a practice 19:19 Leaders often forget about that development piece 19:25 Firefighting vs. leading 20:18 High performers are promoted to leadership without the training 20:41 Individual contributor vs. leader 21:55 What does a leader's mindset look like in practice? 23:21 Success needs to start happening through other people 23:52 Resist the urge to always be the one with the answer 28:15 Employees need to feel ownership 30:08 Adaptability as a leader 30:24 There isn't one perfect leadership style for every situation 32:22 Autonomy is good when a person is ready for it... 35:08 Bart muses on the "obvious" nature of some of this 36:35 Pick one small thing and work at it... 39:01 Where can people find out more about this? 40:11 Thank-yous
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