Over the last 25 years, the number of engaged employees in the U.S. has been as low as 26 percent and only ever as high as 36 percent, according to Gallup research. Granted, there are companies with a high degree of engagement, but what these studies show is that the majority of American workers (as high as 74 percent in some years) are just going through the motions or are actively disengaged. When I look at the research for 2024 showing employee engagement at 31 percent—its lowest level in more than a decade, and even lower when factoring in the record number of job quits over the past 10 years—and note that in the latest research released in mid-2025 it had only risen to 32 percent, it is clear that leadership is failing on a widespread scale.

At its core, today’s leadership failure stems from leaders not making the promises they need to make to those they lead. Also problematic is when leaders do make promises that are then broken or never materialize, eroding trust and respect. That new plan senior management just unveiled to great fanfare, the one they promise is going to usher in more revenue but seems iffy to those of us on the frontlines? Wait and watch. It will fizzle out just like the last one. Empty promises, like absent promises, contribute to uncertainty, doubt, lackluster performance, and disengagement too.

Promises and the Competitive Advantage of Human Connection

The encouraging news is that the leaders who lead well give their organizations a significant performance and competitive advantage. One of those leaders, a man I profiled in Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy, and Understanding at Work, is Admiral Vern Clark who served as Chief of U.S. Naval Operations (CNO), the highest-ranking naval officer, from 2000 to 2005. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his role was to advise the president of the United States on the conduct of war at sea.

I came to know and admire Admiral Clark some years ago after Willie Moore, a retired Vice Admiral and executive at Lockheed Martin, told me that Clark practiced what I write and speak about: creating a culture of human connection. According to Moore, Admiral Clark’s leadership had a powerful, positive impact on the Navy. He experienced it firsthand. While the framework and core elements of a culture of connection are consistent, how they play out varies, depending on the sector and setting so I was curious to know how Admiral Clark did that within a large and dispersed organization that, out of necessity, is hierarchical and command-and-control. Moore made the introduction and I met with Admiral Clark at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. We’ve had many conversations subsequently. I also spoke with a number of his direct reports over the telephone and in meetings at the Pentagon.  

One of the qualities that stood out to me most was Admiral Clark’s embrace of covenant leadership—the idea that leadership is built on mutual promises between leaders and those they lead.

The word covenant is not an everyday term. It might bring to mind a marriage covenant and the traditional vows spoken at a Christian wedding in which each person pledges “from this day forward... till death do us part” to “have and to hold” and “to love and to cherish” the other, regardless of the circumstances they will encounter together (“for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health”). It is a mutual commitment to be there for, and with, the other person through any and all ups and downs, for the long-haul.

In a work context, it may help to compare a covenant attitude to a contractual attitude. A contract between two parties is transactional and performance-based in nature (“You do this; I will do that. If you don’t do X, the negative consequence is Y.”); a covenant feels more relationally-driven, more of a commitment or pledge between the two parties for the benefit of both. A contract has a self-protective “me versus you” orientation whereas a covenant is about “we” and what each party will contribute so that the members can thrive, individually and collectively.

When he became CNO, Admiral Clark believed Navy leadership was failing its enlisted sailors. These men and women promised to support and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and Clark believed officers and leaders had an obligation to make promises to them in return. Those promises included providing the training and mentoring enlisted sailors needed in order to fulfill their commitments. During Admiral Clark’s tenure as CNO, he led a major transformation of the Navy, making it quicker, faster, and more agile so American power could be projected to any corner of the world at a moment’s notice. He also solved the Navy’s retention problem, increasing the enlisted sailor retention rate from a concerningly low range of 20-30 percent to nearly 60 percent.

Promises Made from Both Sides

So, leaders, what promises must you make to those you are responsible for leading in order for them to be able to consistently do their best work? Beyond the necessary ones, what additional promises might you make that will serve to foster connection and boost engagement?

A good starting point is to read my “10 Needs to Thrive at Work” article. Potential promises worth considering include providing the training and mentoring people need to perform well, and creating meaningful ways for employees to share ideas and opinions on matters that affect their work. If your organization has stated values, such as integrity, accountability, or quality, what are the promises implicit in those terms? Would it be beneficial for some or all of the values to be underscored in the form of a promise?

Since a covenant is a mutual pledge, consider the promises you expect from your colleagues in return, such as giving best efforts and aligning language and behavior with organizational, departmental, and team objectives and values. Be ready to clearly articulate this side of the covenant as well.

Once you have identified the promises, give them a hard look. Are they realistic? Can the parties make each of the promises in good faith? As a leader, will you have the resources and support necessary to carry out the promises you are making? If not, what would it take to do so? Will the employees have the resources and support from you they need to carry out the promises they are making?

Implementing the Promises with a Connection Mindset and Skillset

If you choose to embrace a covenant leadership mindset, keep in mind that respect, recognition, and belonging are foundational human needs at work so how the promises are articulated as well as your communications and actions going forward should affirm and reinforce the connecting posture of the “together, we…” covenant dynamic. Believing that your colleagues genuinely want you to be able to succeed and are there for you, as you are there for them, makes a difference.

About the Author

‍Michael Lee Stallard, MBA, JD, is a thought leader, speaker and leading expert on how human connection in workplace cultures affects the health and performance of individuals and organizations. In addition to Fired Up or Burned Out, he is the primary author of Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy, and Understanding at Work.

Photo by Rock Staar on Unsplash