Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report came out this month, and one finding stopped me in my tracks: Managers are struggling more than almost anyone else.
They’re significantly more likely than individual contributors to feel stress, anger, sadness and loneliness on a daily basis. Even more telling—they’re less likely to say they felt enjoyment or even laughed the day before.
It’s hard not to connect that to another stat in the report: Overall employee engagement is now at its lowest level since 2020.
Because when the people setting the tone for a team are running on empty, it doesn’t stay contained. It ripples.
And yet, I don’t think this is a hopeless story. It’s a clarifying one.
The role changed. The support didn’t.
For a long time, being a manager came with what Gallup called an “engagement premium.”
Yes, the job was hard—but it also felt meaningful, connected, worth it.
That equation is breaking down.
Since 2022, manager engagement has dropped sharply. Last year alone, it fell from 27% to 22%. Managers are now only slightly more engaged than the people they lead.
But the emotional load of the role hasn’t decreased. If anything, it’s expanded.
Managers today are expected to lead through constant change, support wellbeing, implement new technologies, navigate hybrid environments—and still deliver results. Often with larger teams and less support.
It’s not surprising that many are starting to feel stretched past capacity.
The Part We Don’t Talk About Enough
One of the quieter themes in the data is isolation.
Managers sit in a difficult middle space. They can’t fully open up to their teams. They don’t always feel safe being candid with their own leaders. Over time, that can turn into a kind of professional loneliness.
I see this often in my work. People who care deeply about their teams, quietly carrying more than they should.
And eventually, the role that once felt purposeful starts to feel heavy.
The Hopeful Part (Because There Is One)
Here’s the piece of the data that changes the conversation:
When managers are engaged, those same negative emotions—stress, anger, loneliness—don’t just decrease. They drop below the levels of the people on their teams.
Engagement becomes a kind of buffer. A source of resilience.
But it’s not something you can simply ask someone to “try harder” at. It comes from the environment around them.
And that means it’s something we can actually influence.
What Actually Helps Build Manager Engagement
In my experience, three shifts make a real difference:
1. Start with wellbeing—not performance.
If someone is at their breaking point, no training or initiative will land the way it’s intended to.
Sometimes the most important first step is simply asking, “How are you really doing?”—and being willing to adjust based on the answer.
2. Reduce the isolation.
Managers need space to be honest without consequences. Small peer groups—where people can share challenges and compare notes—can be surprisingly powerful. Not because they solve everything, but because they remind people they’re not the only ones navigating impossible tradeoffs.
3. Get clear on what matters most.
One of the biggest drains on energy is feeling pulled in too many directions. When managers can focus on the few areas where they make the biggest impact, something shifts—for both effectiveness and motivation.
None of this is complicated. But it does require intention—and support from above.
What the Best Organizations Do Differently
Gallup found that in organizations that treat engagement as a long-term strategy, 79% of managers are engaged. Nearly four times the global average.
That gap isn’t about hiring better people. It’s about creating better conditions.
These organizations invest in development that meets managers where they are. They prioritize connection, not just content. And they treat manager wellbeing as something foundational—not optional.
A Different Question to Ask
We’ve spent years asking managers to do more for their teams:
Engage them. Support them. Lead them through change.
All of that still matters.
But this report raises a more important question:
Who is doing that for the managers?
If this is something you’re seeing in your organization, you’re not alone—and it’s not something you have to solve from scratch.
This is the work we’ve been focused on for the past 17+ years: helping managers lead through complexity without burning out in the process.
If you’re curious, I’m always open to a conversation. You can reach me at neena@newberrysolutions.com or explore more at www.newberrysolutions.com.
Don’t wait for performance to drop before taking action. Discover how the New Lens® platform helps organizations support managers with bite-sized, actionable learning—built for today’s fast-paced, high-stress environments.
