He walked into the Monday leadership meeting energized to rally the troops. Same approach he’d used for eight years. Fast-paced. High-energy. Rapid-fire decisions. The team called it “war room mode.” Forty-five minutes later, he noticed what he’d been missing for months: His team looked exhausted. Not energized. Exhausted. They spoke only when asked. Nodded when he made decisions. But nobody pushed back. Nobody offered alternatives. After the meeting, he pulled

Emma Lawson sat in her office reviewing the latest engagement survey results with a knot in her stomach that wouldn’t go away. On paper, her company looked strong. Twenty years of steady growth. Healthy margins. Loyal customers. Operations running smoothly. The kind of success most business owners dream about. But the survey told a different story. One that kept Emma up at night. Her top performers, the ones who’d been