A troubling statistic
A study by Gallup, based on data covering more than 27 million employees and 2.5 million work units, attributes 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores to the manager themselves.
Not the general corporate culture. Not the benefits. Not the mission statement on the website.
The management style of a single person, day in and day out.
The myth of the charismatic leader
We often imagine that an engaging manager is born with innate talent: presence, charisma, and a natural ability to motivate.
The reality is more nuanced. Gallup estimates that about one in ten people possesses high managerial talent from the start, and another two in ten have real potential, provided they are well-coached and developed. The problem is that organizations fail to make this distinction in the majority of their promotion decisions: they often rely on seniority or technical performance, rarely on the actual ability or potential to mobilize a team.
Take a common example: a high-performing sales representative becomes a sales manager. A brilliant engineer becomes a team lead. The technical competence that justified the promotion often has nothing to do with the ability to help others grow.
The result: managers who are competent in their original field, but never truly equipped for what matters most in their new role.
The cost of this blind spot goes far beyond engagement. A poorly led team often ends up losing its best people, and the resulting staff turnover costs much more than a leadership development program would have cost in the first place.
Empowering leadership: a concrete path forward
A body of research has examined what distinguishes managers who truly mobilize their teams. The concept that emerges has a name: empowering leadership.
According to an analysis published in the Revue Gestion de HEC Montréal, this approach is based on two dimensions: supporting autonomy—delegating real power and sharing information—and supporting professional development through continuous feedback and mentoring.
In practical terms, a manager who practices empowering leadership doesn't just say what to do. They provide the means to make decisions.
The effect on teams is well-documented: an increased sense of control, work perceived as more stimulating, the ability to react quickly to the unexpected without waiting for management approval, and, eventually, the emergence of leadership skills within the team members themselves.
How this changes a team's day-to-day
Empowerment-based leadership is more than just an abstract concept. It translates into observable behaviors, week after week:
- Sharing strategic information instead of keeping it to yourself
- Entrusting team members with real responsibilities, not just tasks
- Providing continuous feedback rather than just once a year
- Accepting that the team will find its own way to achieve results
- Recognizing initiatives rather than simply correcting deviations
In isolation, each of these actions may seem minor. Repeated over several months, they completely reshape the trust between a manager and their team.
These behaviors do not necessarily require large investments. However, they do require awareness, practice, and often, coaching to turn intentions into new management habits.
The role of a structured intervention
This is where well-designed team building takes on a different meaning: not as an isolated event for the team, but as a training ground for the manager themselves.
Placed in a context outside their daily routine, a manager can observe their team functioning differently, test a more empowering approach, and receive feedback on the real impact of their management style, sometimes for the first time since their appointment.
In an experiential activity, behaviors become visible. Who automatically takes control? Who consults the team? Who delegates? Who listens? Who intervenes as soon as an error occurs? Who lets others find their own solutions?
The activity doesn't create these behaviors: it reveals them.
It is no longer just about the team. It is about the relationship between the team and the person leading them every day, through concrete practice rather than theory learned in a training session.
Investing in the right lever
An organization can host countless team-building activities. If the day-to-day management style doesn't change in the weeks that follow, the effect remains temporary.
Conversely, a manager who adopts a more empowering approach creates momentum that lasts long after the activity itself, because they are transforming how they lead, not just boosting morale for an afternoon.
At Latulippe Team Building, team building and leadership development go hand in hand. Every intervention is designed to equip both the team and the person leading it. It is this combination, not the activity alone, that turns a one-off event into a lasting gain in engagement.
Do you want to evaluate how your current management style influences your team's engagement?
Contact us today for a free consultation.
