Engagement, according to the Mercer report “Engaging Employees to Drive Global Business Success,” is a decisive competitive advantage, “a psychological state in which employees feel a vested interest in the company’s success and are both willing and motivated to perform to levels that exceed the stated job requirements.” Engagement is contingent on worker commitment and empowerment. Empowerment requires, in turn, training and competency because untrained workers can’t exercise judgment, initiative, or autonomy.

It is highly instructive to compare the biblical story of Gideon to Disney corporations’ layoff of 250 long-term employees late last year. The story of Gideon shows that one engaged worker can be worth a hundred uncommitted and unengaged ones.

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