5 Signs of Disengagement How Leaders Can Spot the Drift Early—and Rebuild Performance and Trust Disengagement rarely shows up as one big, obvious problem. It starts quietly: less initiative, fewer ideas, slower follow-through, and a noticeable drop in ownership. Many organizations do not realize it is happening until performance dips, turnover increases, or a key employee leaves and the team’s momentum collapses. For executive teams, the real risk is not loud conflict. It is