There is currently a lot of enthusiasm for the concept of employee engagement. This is because of substantial amounts of credible research showing a strong positive correlation between higher engagement levels and better business results. Things like "research" and "business results" sound like solid, respectable things to deal with. But here's the dirty little secret about employee engagement: achieving higher levels of engagement calls for the application of selling and marketing techniques, and the thought of that can make some people a little squeamish.

If you want a good demonstration in how not to lead served up in a convenient, 43-minute package, just watch an episode of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen.