Only around 30% of American workers — the lowest share in over a decade — describe themselves as engaged at their jobs, according to the latest annual Gallup survey, signalling what experts call a widespread failure of workplace leadership. A separate 2026 report by the Center for Organizational Effectiveness, drawing on confidential counselling sessions from employees across more than 100,000 organisations worldwide, found that American workers' top concerns are chronic work-life imbalance, anxiety over vague or shifting performance expectations, and a lack of clarity about their employer's goals — with just 46% of U.S. workers saying they clearly understand what is expected of them, down from 56% in 2020. Researchers say the core problem is a "leadership chasm": managers routinely believe they foster open, supportive cultures, while employees — worn down by overwork and uncertain of what success even looks like — have quietly stopped trying.