I think employee engagement is important at any time of any organization's lifecycle and in any economy.

Yet with the looming recession--sorry to be a downer--I think some leaders feel that they get a pass on employee engagement. They think, I have less to worry about, or I don't have to worry about employee engagement. People will be happy to simply have a job.

It’s tempting to consider that you can take the idea of understanding the engagement of your team members off your plate. But it’s wrong.

Let’s define what engagement is and then you can consider why it’s key to your success as a leader all the time.