How to Build Engagement and Influence at Work (Even When You’re Not in Charge)

The workplace has a disengagement problem.

People are burned out, quiet quitting is still happening under new names, and managers are struggling to keep teams motivated. But as guest Mark shares in this episode, the real cause of disengagement isn’t just bad bosses or broken systems. It often starts within each of us.

This conversation explores what it means to take responsibility for your own engagement, how to find the type of work that lights you up, and why influence doesn’t require a title.

The Real Source of Disengagement

Mark spent years in engineering leadership at companies like Nike and eBay before shifting his focus to team health and culture. He’s seen both sides of the engagement problem—teams that thrive and teams that crumble under the same roof.

The difference? It isn’t usually the company. It’s the people.

“People who are always looking outside themselves for the problem are usually the most miserable,” Mark explains. “If you’re constantly blaming your boss or your coworkers, you’ll eventually take that same energy to your next job. You can’t outrun yourself.”

According to Gallup, disengagement costs organizations millions each year, but at the individual level, it costs something even greater: a sense of purpose.

Mark says the shift begins with an internal locus of control—the belief that you can influence your own experience.

When employees stop waiting for someone else to fix things and start focusing on what they can control, everything changes.

It Starts with You: Crafting a Personal Mission Statement

One of the first steps Mark takes his teams through is creating a personal mission statement.

Most people never stop to define what matters to them. They get hired, learn their job, and fall into routine without ever asking, Why am I here? What do I want this work to mean?

Mark walks teams through an exercise of listing values, circling the words that spark energy, and narrowing them down to a single sentence that describes who they want to be and how they want to live.

He wrote his own mission statement nearly twenty years ago and still uses it as a daily compass:

“To live courageously, to do everything passionately, to pursue excellence, and in all things act with integrity.”

A clear mission statement becomes a filter for decision-making. When stress hits, you can pause and ask, “Does this action move me closer to the person I want to be, or further away?”

How Individual Growth Strengthens Team Dynamics

Desiree shared how her own leadership transformation began when she started doing personal development work. The more she focused on her growth, the more authentic and connected she became—and the more her team responded with openness and trust.

Mark agrees that self-awareness doesn’t just change individuals. It changes team chemistry.

“Most of us underestimate how much we influence the people around us,” he says. “Eighty percent of people go with the flow of the team’s energy. If that energy is negative, they become negative. If it’s positive, they rise with it.”

This means one person’s mindset can shift the tone of an entire department. And that influence belongs to every team member, not just the manager.

The 10 Percent Rule: Managing Negative Energy

Every team has a few people who resist change or drag others down. Mark calls this the “ten percent problem.”

Ten percent of people are natural encouragers. Ten percent will always complain. The other eighty percent take their cues from whichever energy is stronger.

The key is addressing negativity early—either through direct conversations or with leadership support—before it shapes the entire culture.

As Desiree notes, “An experience at work can never rise above the level of energy you bring to it.”

Finding Your Working Genius

One of Mark’s favorite tools for helping people rediscover engagement is The Six Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni.

The framework identifies six modes of work: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. Everyone has two that are natural strengths (genius), two that are neutral (competency), and two that drain energy (frustration).

When you work in your areas of genius, you end the day energized. When you spend most of your time in frustration, burnout follows.

Teams can use this model to balance strengths, adjust responsibilities, and fill gaps. For example, if everyone on a team is big-picture and visionary, nothing gets executed. If everyone is focused only on tasks, creativity suffers.

The healthiest teams are those where every type of genius has a place.

How to Elevate Your Influence

Once you know your values and strengths, the next step is expanding your influence—regardless of your title.

Mark shares two practical strategies he teaches leaders:

Nemawashi (the art of preparation)
A Japanese concept meaning “to prepare the roots.” Before pitching an idea to a large group, meet individually with the people who will have input. Ask for feedback, listen to concerns, and refine the idea. When it’s presented to the group, it already has buy-in and support.
This isn’t manipulation—it’s collaboration done thoughtfully and transparently.
The Incumbent Advantage
Come to meetings with a draft proposal instead of just opinions. When you present something tangible, others must build on it or improve it. This approach speeds up decision-making and helps teams reach better solutions faster.

Both methods build credibility and show initiative—two key components of influence.

Rethinking Stress and Pressure

Early in his career, Mark’s boss told him he wasn’t good under pressure. For years, he believed it.

Everything changed when he reframed stress from a threat to a signal. Instead of trying to calm down, he learned to channel the physical symptoms of stress—racing heart, adrenaline, fast breathing—into excitement and readiness.

That mindset shift not only helped him perform better under pressure but also rewrote his professional identity.

This concept echoes research from Kelly McGonigal’s book The Upside of Stress, which shows that stress can be energizing when we view it as a challenge instead of a threat.

Mark also emphasizes the basics: regular exercise, clear boundaries, and intentional rest. Creating margin isn’t a luxury—it’s a leadership skill.

Final Thoughts

Engagement begins long before HR initiatives or leadership retreats. It begins with individuals deciding who they want to be, how they want to show up, and what kind of energy they bring to the team.

When people understand their purpose, align with their strengths, and take ownership of their mindset, they not only enjoy their work more—they elevate everyone around them.

As Desiree puts it, “You can’t control the first thought that comes into your head. But you can choose the second thought—and that choice is where leadership begins.”