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Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace [report](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx) shows only 23% of employees are engaged. 62% are “not engaged” and 15% are “actively disengaged.”

In Australia and New Zealand, there’s been an uptick in engagement to 25%, but still 65% _don’t_ feel engaged at work.

Gallup has found that 70% of the variance in [team engagement](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/leadershipemployeeengagement) can be attributed to the **manager**. 

Not surprising, given employees have said in our masterclasses engagement comes from _a learning opportunity, stretch project, challenge, teamwork, given a task and trusted to nail it, purpose, enjoyment, autonomy, and trust._

Gallup research shows if the **manager is engaged**, others are also more likely to be engaged.

In other words, leadership is super-important and has a cascading effect. Without the right people leading your staff, you risk a lot.

Jim Collins, author of _“Good to Great,”_ has long promoted the importance of getting the right people on your team as a top factor in becoming a great company.

His concept "First Who, Then What" is one of the key pillars of a roadmap to greatness which will be explained at an exclusive in-person [Good to Great® Immersion Workshop with Jim Collins](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/good-to-great-immersion-workshop/overview?sid=a0KRG00000DSzVj2AL) in Chicago, U.S., on October 7, 2025.

Let's look at this concept and see how you can use it in your company.

Gallup State of the Workplace Report

As early as you can in your business, focus on hiring great people before you worry too much about your business strategy. Jim Collins believes that if you have a team of smart, hardworking, and passionate people, you'll be able to handle any challenge and grab any opportunity that comes your way.

_“Gallup has found that high-engagement business units are likely to see significantly higher employee wellbeing — as well as higher productivity, profitability and sales — than low-engagement teams.”_

Jim Collins uses the analogy of a bus. You need to **fill the bus with the right people** before you drive anywhere. You need the right people in the right seats. And, you need to get the wrong people off the bus.

As we saw in the Gallup research, the final piece is probably the most critical. The wrong people managing other people can do an enormous amount of damage to engagement and productivity.

_“An effective manager motivates team members, moving them from indifferent to inspired.”_ - Gallup

What's "First Who, Then What" All About?

**Make Hiring a Top Priority** Spend more time and money on finding great people. It's that important. According to Gallup, the best organisations hire managers with a talent for engaging their teams, and they train their managers into effective coaches who consistently deliver meaningful individual feedback that inspires better future performance.

> _"The number one metric to track is what percentage of the key seats on your bus or mini-bus are filled with the right people for those key seats? Is it 90% or above? If the answers no, you have just identified your No. 1 responsibility." - Jim Collins_

**Look for More Than Just Skills** When hiring, care about personality and values as much as experience.

**Take Your Time Hiring** Don't rush to fill a job. It's better to wait for the right person. Having [Level 5 leaders](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/levelfiveleadership) at both senior leadership and unit level makes it more likely you will develop “pockets of greatness” in your organisation – helping to improve the whole.

> _"If you drive a mini-bus you say I'm going to make this a sparkling pocket of greatness. Then you get asked to drive bigger and bigger buses." - Jim Collins_

**Be Thorough When Interviewing** Use different types of interviews and tests to really get to know candidates.

**Care About Character** Choose people who are honest, hardworking, and eager to learn. As Patrick Lencioni says, [the “ideal team player”](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/thoughtleaderpatricklencioni) is humble, hungry, and smart.

**Welcome New Hires Properly** Have a great plan to bring new people into the team and company culture.

**Act Fast If Someone's Not a Good Fit** If a new hire isn't working out, address it quickly and respectfully. It could be the person is in the wrong seat “on the bus.”

**Build a Culture of High Standards** Let your best workers set the tone for everyone else. As [accountability expert Mark Green](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/accountabilityproductivity) says, what you tolerate as a leader sends a signal to the rest of the team that you find that behaviour acceptable.

**Trust Your Team** Once you have great people, let them make decisions and lead. This is what [“Multiplier” leaders](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Multipliersmasterclasstalentmagnet) do – they instil ownership and accountability. As organisational psychologist [Daniel Pink](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/a02RG000005shQUYAY/overview?sid=a0KRG000007we992AA) says in _“Drive”_ and in his popular TED Talk, **autonomy**, **mastery**, and **purpose** are the key motivational factors for employees.

> _"I really trust my people. I leave them alone to do their best work." - Jim Collins_

**Reward Good Work** Make sure your pay and recognition systems encourage excellence.

**Help People Grow** Create ways for your best workers to advance in the company.

**Keep Checking Your Team** Regularly make sure you still have the right people as your company changes.

How to Put Jim’s "First Who Then What" Concept to Work

Focusing on people first means your company can adapt quickly and do great work. It might take longer to grow at first because you're being picky about who you hire. But in the long run, you'll have a stronger, more successful company.

As a leader, your job shifts from just setting goals to building an amazing team. Trust that with the right people, you'll figure out the right goals together.

Having the right team is your biggest advantage. Great people can come up with great plans, but even the best plan won't work without the right people to carry it out.

**Start Today**

> _"Do you have your 'who' hat on all the time? You think about who all the time. One of the most powerful things is 'who' luck." - Jim Collins_

Take a look at how you hire and build your team. Make getting the right people your top priority. When you have a team of stars, you'll be amazed at what your company can achieve.

Why this matters

[Growth Faculty members](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/memberships/?campaign_id=701RG000006BNNhYAO&promo=BlogGF) benefit from a world-class [immersive live virtual learning program](https://thegrowthfaculty.ac-page.com/GF-Program-Download) - all included in their annual subscription. It’s an engaging and entertaining way to develop leaders.

Growth Faculty recently launched a good value [Enterprise plan](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/enterprise/) for **larger companies** to develop leadership skills across their whole organisation.

New events are being added regularly to this highly curated program. Keep an eye on the website Growthfaculty.com for fresh additions to the line-up.

For **higher level leaders,** including CEOs, there is an in-person [Good to Great® Immersion Workshop with Jim Collins](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/a02RG000002EGYsYAO/overview/?campaign_id=701RG00000ALpCMYA1&promo=Blog&type=Affiliate) in Chicago, U.S., in October 2024. This is exclusively for executive teams and numbers are limited.

Photo by [Vitaly Gariev](https://unsplash.com/@silverkblack?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-man-sitting-at-a-desk-with-his-head-in-his-hands-fru_EXsqsp4?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

New Gallup report: 77% of employees disengaged at work

70% of variance in team engagement is due to the manager

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

New Gallup report: 77% of employees disengaged at work

70% of variance in team engagement is due to the manager

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired