A Q&A with Mark C. Crowley, author of The Power of Employee Well-Being
The billion-dollar employee engagement industry has failed workers. Mark C. Crowley offers a data-driven alternative: measuring and improving employee well-being for lasting results.
For years, companies have trumpeted employee engagement as the lifeblood of success, weaving grand promises of thriving workplaces and soaring performance. Yet, Gallup’s data shatters this façade: a mere 30 percent of US workers and 21 percent globally are engaged today, dismal figures essentially unchanged for over a decade. This rather damning reality exposes a commitment not just half-hearted but utterly disingenuous. Perfunctory surveys, dusted off once or twice a year, vanish into the void, sparking no meaningful change, while ineffective or toxic managers sidestep accountability with ease. The fallout is a workforce drowning in disillusionment, tethered to a metric that’s broken beyond repair. In The Power of Employee Well-Being, Mark C. Crowley unveils a revolutionary vision, proving well-being ignites fierce commitment, unleashes boundless productivity, and forges workplaces where people and profits thrive.
Crowley recently took some time to answer seven questions from Porchlight. Here is that exchange.
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Porchlight Book Company: Writing a book is no small undertaking. What compelled you to write this one?
Mark C. Crowley: Lots of inspiration, honestly. While walking on the beach one day, the word “primer” popped into my head. It wasn’t a word I’d commonly used, so I gave it a lot of extra thought. Ultimately, I decided this one word was a nod from the universe to write another book—a very concise and focused book—targeted at workplace managers who are pressed for time. Once I committed to the project, I became aware of compelling research which profoundly confirmed work I’d long been doing. The pieces fell into place and I’m happy to be part of the conversation on why we need to be more focused on worker well-being.
PBC: Writing (and reading) always prompts as many new questions as it offers answers to the ones you came to it with. What is one unanswered question you encountered as you wrote the book that you are most interested in answering now?
MC: Why do CEOs continue to lead and manage people in ways that are entirely misaligned to optimal human performance (anti well-being) when the science is more than clear that organizational success would soar if they changed?
PBC: If there is only one thing a reader takes away from reading this book, what would you hope it to be?
MC: That there is a direct and proven correlation between employee well-being and employee performance—and that leaders are the ones that can make this happen if they’re willing to make the shift to well-being.
PBC: One of the great things about books is that they tend to lead readers to other books. What book[s] related to this topic would you recommend people read after (or perhaps even before) reading your book?
MC: Antonio Damasio’s book Descartes’ Error proves human intelligence is sourced throughout our bodies (heart included), not just our brains.
If you want a deeper dive into why traditional leadership practices are doing more harm than good—and why caring, supportive leadership is more in line with what people need at work, my first book, Lead from The Heart: Transformational Leadership for The 21st Century covers that—and further explains the need for a focus on worker well-being.
PBC: What is your favorite book?
MC: One of the first books I ever read where I felt fully emersed in (as if I was on that raft going down the Mississippi River) was Huckleberry Finn. I read it again in college with the same joy. It remains my all-time favorite book.
PBC: What are you reading now?
MC: The Collective Edge by Colin Fisher and Dealing With Feeling by Marc Brackett—both of whom I’m planning to chat with on my podcast, Lead from the Heart. Fascinating books.
PBC: Do you have any future projects in the works that we can look forward to?
Not yet! Hoping a new inspiration comes on a future beach walk.
Want to get started on the book now? Read an adapted excerpt from the book's Introduction, "Don’t Measure Employee Engagement—Support Employee Well-Being", posted in our ChangeThis series.
About the Author
Mark C. Crowley, a pioneering leader and bestselling author. With twenty-five years in the competitive financial services industry, he rose to national roles, earning Leader of the Year for his emotionally connected, heart-centered approach that drove exceptional performance and employee growth. His book Lead from the Heart disrupted conventional management with research proving traditional methods undermine employee achievement. Now taught in eleven universities, it ignited a global movement for humane leadership. In The Power of Employee Well-Being, he advances this vision, demonstrating that thriving teams fuel organizational success. Mark’s Lead from the Heart podcast, ranked in the top 1.5 percent globally, reaches 175+ countries. A sought-after speaker, Fast Company contributor, and organizational culture consultant, he shapes modern workplaces. A UC San Diego graduate, Mark lives in La Jolla, California.
