Disengagement isn’t caused by a lack of effort from employees. It’s caused by a lack of leader curiosity.
Through my own research, I asked Millennials, who now make up 35% of today’s workforce and report disengagement rates as high as 60%, what drives their disengagement. Their answer was striking in its simplicity: “My leader doesn’t know me and doesn’t care to know me.”
This matters.
Millennials are not only the largest segment of today’s workforce — they’re also the very group being prepared for senior leadership roles in the decade ahead, or should be. If they feel unseen and undervalued, organizations aren’t just facing a retention issue; they’re facing a leadership pipeline crisis. The good news is that disengagement isn’t inevitable. Leaders can replace stagnation with inspiration by shifting how we lead, moving away from what I call “driven purely by digits” leadership and leaning into the human side of performance. Based on decades of research and my work, here are three ways to turn disengagement into inspired contribution for 2026:
1. Make curiosity contagious
Leaders often assume inspiration comes from bold speeches and beautiful PowerPoint presentations. The reality? It begins with bold questions and a willingness to listen.
Early in my career at Frito-Lay, I started at 4:00 a.m. loading trucks and stocking shelves. Yes, I was a Teamster. Some drivers adhered rigidly to the planogram — the chart that showed where every product belonged. They finished quickly but rarely increased sales. The top performers, however, were the ones who got curious: Why does this store always run out of one flavor first? What happens if I set up a display near the deli instead of the snack aisle? Why do weekend shoppers buy differently from weekday shoppers? Their curiosity consistently translated into stronger results.
That lesson has stayed with me: curiosity isn’t a soft skill; it’s a strategic advantage. Imagine the cultural shift if leaders replaced “Did you hit your numbers?” with questions like:
“What shifts are you noticing with consumer buying patterns?
“Where could a small, incremental change create an outsized impact?”
“What questions are we not asking?
When leaders ask, pause to listen, curiosity follows. Teams move from compliance to contribution, unlocking new opportunities and growth.
2. Create space for connection
Disengagement often comes from not feeling seen, heard or valued. People don’t disengage because they stop working hard — they disengage because they don’t feel like they belong.
At my local Kroger, Larry runs register #3. I drive past two brand-new grocery stores just to check out in his line. Why? Because Larry doesn’t just scan groceries. He looks up, smiles, and asks me what’s new, making me feel like more than just a customer. In short, Larry creates a connection.
Leaders can do the same. Creating space for connection doesn’t require grand gestures; it requires presence. Pausing long enough to ask, “How are you, really?” or noticing when someone goes the extra mile. When employees feel seen and valued, they bring more of themselves to their work. Connection is the spark that turns disengagement into impact. And it starts with leaders willing to slow down, look up and engage like Larry.
3. Reward curiosity, not just results
Most organizations celebrate outcomes such as hitting a sales target, launching on time or closing the deal. But if leaders only reward results, they risk discouraging the behaviors that make those results possible in the first place. Curiosity.
I witnessed this firsthand while leading a team at The Coca-Cola Company. One manager took a risk by questioning a long-standing marketing strategy. The idea she proposed didn’t immediately deliver the numbers we hoped for, but her willingness to challenge assumptions opened the door to a campaign that became one of our most successful the following year. Because her curiosity was recognized instead of dismissed, the whole team felt empowered to bring forward bolder ideas.
Teams light up when leaders notice the process: the thoughtful questions asked, the risks taken, the creativity explored, even when the outcome isn’t what was expected. This doesn’t have to be a big formal deal. A leader can spotlight a team member in a meeting, thank someone for raising a tough question or share a lesson learned from an experiment that didn’t go as planned. The message is clear: curiosity counts here. Because here’s the paradox: when curiosity itself is rewarded, the results tend to be bigger and better than anyone anticipated.
Disengagement isn’t an employee problem. It’s a leadership opportunity. The cure isn’t perks or pizza parties. It’s inspiration. And inspiration begins with curiosity. When leaders model curiosity, create space for connection and reward curiosity, not just results, employees don’t just show up, they step up.
And when they do, they won’t say the words we heard in our research: “My leader doesn’t know me and doesn’t care to know me.”
Curiosity turns the workplace from a place people go into a place where they grow.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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