Creating a Culture Where People Feel Seen, Heard, and Valued
Employee engagement is declining. U.S. employee engagement fell to an 11-year low at the end of 2024, with only 31% of employees reporting they were engaged. This is down from a pandemic-era high of 36% in 2020.
Trust in leadership has dropped sharply. A May 2025 poll found that only 20% of U.S. employees “strongly agree” they trust the leadership of their organization. Yet more than 70% of workers say they want their work to have meaning—not just a paycheck.
For centuries, most work was done with our hands and feet — building, moving, repairing — with clear paths of mastery: apprenticeships, residencies, certifications. Success or failure was visible. Your weld held or it didn’t. The surgery healed or it didn’t.
Today, most work is done with our mouths and ears — communicating, persuading, listening, connecting. Data shows 62% of all jobs now depend primarily on human-to-human communication, and that percentage is rising. For leaders, it’s closer to 80–90%.
Love Works reframes communication. It’s not a “soft skill.” It’s the hardest and most essential leadership skill. When leaders learn to listen, connect, and communicate with care, they create organizations where people feel seen, heard, and valued.
People don’t need answers as much as they need presence. They don’t need you to rescue them — they need someone to believe in them. Encouragement means to give courage. And giving courage often begins with a good question, not a great answer — then showing that you are there with them and that you believe they can do it.
Structured and scheduled monthly or biweekly conversations where leaders show care and alignment.
Caring — words are grounded in love and compassion — for them, not your ego.
Honest — speaking the truth — facts, not assumptions.
Direct — no sugarcoating or side-stepping. Get to the heart of the issue.
Doing all three well — Caring, Honest, and Direct — takes intentionality. It takes prayer, practice, and presence.
Remember: Give peace, not a piece.
Small but powerful ways to make people feel seen and valued.
ICU (I See You): Noticing someone as a person, not just their work.
“Hey, I see you’re a Bulls fan — did you catch the game last night?”
“I noticed you stayed late to finish that project — thank you.”
ICNU (I See in You): Identifying a strength or potential you see in them.
“I see in you the ability to lead projects like this more often. You bring people together.”
“When you voice your ideas, they’re great — I encourage you to speak up more. I really value your perspective.”
Leadership is love. Love isn’t weak — it works. Put love into action. Because Love Works.
Contact Ken to bring Love Works to your organization through a keynote, workshop, or coaching program.