An Epidemic of Insignificance—and What We Can Do About It
By Rhonda Williams, RN, MSN, MBA
At Thunderbird Leadership, we sit across from leaders every day—twenty, forty, even sixty at a time— bright, motivated professionals who genuinely want to do right by their people. Yet despite good intentions, something heartbreaking continues to show up:
People feel invisible.
According to The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance, Dr. Zach Mercurio outlines five sources of insignificance:
- Feeling unseen
- Feeling unheard
- Feeling unvalued
- Feeling forgotten
- Feeling dispensable
He also points to research showing that nearly half of workers feel undervalued and unappreciated in the workplace—a staggering reality that echoes through every hallway, Zoom room, and leadership session we facilitate.
And here’s the paradox— most leaders don’t intend for this to happen. But it does, and not because of grand betrayals or sweeping failures.
It happens in the micro-moments:
– A rushed response instead of real presence
– A performance correction with no curiosity
– Recognition withheld, thinking “they already know they’re doing great”
– A meeting that begins without eye contact or ends without acknowledgment
Insignificance creeps in silently, but its impact is deafening.
This is why I do the work I do. It moves me deeply to know that, through intentional organizational development, we can change a life, reignite a disengaged team, and cultivate a culture where everyone knows they matter.
The work begins with awareness. But it doesn’t end there.
If you’re a leader who wants to stop the spread of insignificance in your workplace, here are three practical ways to start now:
1. See the person, not just the performer.
Ask questions that go beyond the task list. Learn what excites them, what they’re proud of, or how they’re doing as a human. Let your presence say, “You matter, even when you’re performing at your best.”
2. Make recognition specific and sincere.
Generic praise feels transactional. Instead, say, “I noticed how calmly you handled that situation with the family this morning. That really made a difference to them.” Specificity reinforces value.
3. Design trust, don’t just hope for it.
Trust isn’t built by accident. Involve people in decisions that affect them. Give them room to lead. Trust shows people they are needed, not just tolerated.
The truth is, we all want to feel like we matter.
And the beautiful thing is: we all have the power to make someone feel that way—starting today.
Reference:
Mercurio, Z. (2025). The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance. Harvard Business Review Press.