Supporting Employees for Excellence

Cathie Leimbach • March 7, 2023

There is a lot of concern today about the state of the workplace. Most of the conversation I hear focuses on employee shortfalls such as limited skills and effort, turnover, low morale, and mediocre productivity. Yet, studies show that employees only control 30% of the factors that impact workplace engagement and, therefore, the bottom line. Let’s talk about the people leaders who control the other 70% of factors that impact workplace engagement which in turn impacts most current concerns about the workforce.

Workplace excellence requires employees to have strong competence in the work they are doing and high commitment to the organization, its leadership, and their job.  Leaders can make or break the employees’ commitment and have a responsibility for placing employees in roles that match their competence or providing training to develop the necessary skills. 

Only about 10% of people leaders give adequate attention to developing and maintaining employee commitment. Stephen M.R. Covey calls their style of leadership ‘trust and inspire’. They lead in a way that builds trust with and among employees and inspires employees to do their best.

Covey and Gallup call the other 90% ‘command and control’ leaders. They tell their employees what to do but seldom interact in a way that considers, engages, or empowers them.  They don’t get their employees best.

Trust and inspire leaders engender high commitment and provide support to develop high competence in their employees. By paying attention to both factors that impact employee success, their organizations have lower turnover, higher morale, and a stronger bottom line.

How can you move from any command and control tendencies you may have to become a strong trust and inspire leadership?  Conversational Management training equips leaders with the mindset and the skills to develop a trust and inspire leadership culture.  You can learn about this transformational program by contacting Cathie Leimbach at cathie@agonleadership.com.

Thanksgiving: Beyond the Turkey and Thank-You Notes

By Cathie Leimbach • November 25, 2025
As leaders, we know Thanksgiving week is prime time for employee appreciation. But here's the thing—a generic "thanks everyone" email hits differently for different people. Dr. Paul White's research on the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace offers a smarter approach. Just like people receive love differently, your team members feel valued in distinct ways: through words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, tangible gifts, or physical touch (think handshakes and high-fives in professional settings). That all-star on your team? She might light up from a handwritten note praising her specific contributions. Your behind-the-scenes problem-solver might feel more appreciated if you help him out by clearing his schedule for an afternoon so he can tackle his backlog. This Thanksgiving, skip the one-size-fits-all approach. Take ten minutes to consider how each team member prefers to be recognized. It's not about grand gestures—it's about matching your gratitude to what actually resonates with each individual. When appreciation lands in someone's preferred language, it doesn't just feel nice. It builds loyalty, boosts morale, and reminds people why they show up every day. That's something worth being thankful for. Curious about what languages are preferred? Click here to learn more!

The Power of Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters

By Cathie Leimbach • November 10, 2025
In most organizations, the instinct is to add —more goals, more projects, more meetings. But as Juliet Funt, founder of the Juliet Funt Group, teaches in her Strategic Choice process, real leadership strength lies in deciding what to stop doing . Strategic Choice is the intentional narrowing of priorities—cutting away the clutter so teams can focus on what truly drives results. It’s a disciplined act of letting go: saying no to good ideas so there’s room for the great ones. Funt’s approach challenges leaders to pause, think, and create the mental and operational space their people need to perform at their best. By removing unnecessary tasks and misplaced effort, leaders make room for precision, innovation, and real thinking time. This isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what matters most. When businesses adopt this mindset, they replace overwhelm with clarity and regain control of their time, energy, and outcomes. For small to mid-sized companies, embracing Strategic Choice can transform busyness into focus—and that focus is where sustainable growth begins. Want a quick visual overview? View Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters to see how this process helps leaders focus on what truly drives results.