April 8, 2025
by Stephen T. Messenger
The Shocking State of Employee Engagement
According to a 2024 Gallup poll, only 21% of employees feel passionate about their work. Perhaps more alarming, 63% of respondents across 160 countries described themselves as “not engaged.”
One of the main reasons for these low engagement numbers is management. Direct supervisors are a driving factor in whether an employee is doing their best work. Incompetent, micromanaging, or toxic bosses often hurt morale more than the job itself. Conversely, positive, engaging bosses help people achieve results and enjoy their jobs.
A passionate employee is going to do their best work. While the onus ultimately falls on the individual to choose their attitude, the role of the boss is critical in unlocking the full potential of their team.
The Intégro Leadership Institute developed the Passion Pyramid to help leaders understand the five core needs of employees and guide them from disengagement to passion. By recognizing where employees are on this pyramid and interacting with them accordingly, leaders can increase engagement across their teams.
Leaders Control Passion Levels
The intersection of talent, passion, and opportunity is what I call the “sweet spot” of life. People who are skilled, love what they do, and have a career aligned with their strengths are typically fulfilled at work. I’ve been fortunate to live in that sweet spot throughout my U.S. Army career, having held over twenty different positions and felt passionate about nearly all of them.
The few exceptions were due to unhealthy supervisors. Even someone as passionate about the military as I am struggled to stay engaged under poor leadership. That’s how much influence a boss has.
The Passion Pyramid: Five Essential Employee Needs
The Passion Pyramid argues there are five employee needs. Fulfillment can be obtained by an employee moving up the ladder, and the boss can help them do so. Leaders should be aware of these needs and help employees move up the pyramid both to benefit themselves and the organization.
1. To Be Respected. Using the most basic form of employee engagement, bosses must treat others with the utmost respect. It’s no longer acceptable for leaders to belittle, insult, or even ignore employees. People skills are required to make others feel trusted, valued, and heard. From the first day to the last, engagement starts with helping individuals feel needed and important. Leaders do this through their words, actions, and consistent interaction.
2. To Learn and Grow. Most employees show up wanting to succeed and improve. That becomes difficult when their job is the same mundane task years on end. Leaders should coach, counsel, and mentor their people, creating opportunities for them to expand their skills. Good bosses offer training to expand the knowledge base of employees and complete more tasks. Great bosses build defined roadmaps for professional development leading to future opportunities.
3. To Be an Insider. People want to be in the loop. When employees feel informed and included, they develop a deeper connection to the organization. Bosses who are inclusive, transparent, and push information to their people develop connections based on an open flow of information. Everyone wants to sit at the “cool kids’ table,” and it’s the leader’s job to make every employee feel like they’re already there.
4. To Do Meaningful Work. Employees want to know their work matters. Leaders must connect daily tactical tasks to the organization’s strategic mission and values. By aligning purpose, values, and vision with daily tasks, employees understand how they are contributing to a greater cause. The result is increased commitment and engagement. Just about every dinner table conversation in the country starts with, “How was work today?” Great bosses give their team a meaningful story to tell.
5. To Be on a Winning Team. At the top of the pyramid, passionate employees are part of high-performing teams. Just like in the Super Bowl, where players have their needs met but still feel deflated after a loss, employees need to experience wins. These don’t have to be massive achievements, just meaningful successes. It’s the leader’s job to remind our people that they were on a winning team today.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Every organization has employees scattered across different levels of the pyramid. Some are thriving and passionately contributing, while others are struggling to feel included or valued. Leadership is the art of recognizing where each person falls on the pyramid and help them climb higher.
Employees who are respected, learners, in the know, doing important work, and winning bring massive value to any team. Sadly, only one in five people are estimated to be at this level.
The Leader’s Challenge—and Opportunity
Imagine a team where every member is passionate, engaged, and going above and beyond daily. It would transform how we operate. The Passion Pyramid offers a practical roadmap to create that kind of team. By understanding and supporting each employee’s journey, leaders can unleash extraordinary performance, satisfaction, and purpose.
Want to build a passionate team? Start by assessing where each person is on the pyramid—and lead them upward with intention. Share this with fellow leaders who care about making work meaningful.
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