Yes Ben, according to Gallup research, a leader is directly responsible for 30% of a follower's engagement and indirectly responsible for around 30% to 40%. When you add the two, you realize how much influence--and responsibility--a leader has for engaged employees.

So, if your employees aren't engaged, the first person you need to look at is in the mirror.

I think that Reiss' approach to motivation is a natural fit for employee engagement. A leader sets the conditions for engagement by being in tune with innate employee motives. The s/he sets the conditions and builds the environment to meet those motivational needs.