Leaders Underestimate the Value of Employee JoySKIP TO CONTENTHarvard Business Review LogoHarvard Business Review LogoEmployee engagement|Leaders Underestimate the Value of Employee JoySubscribeSign InLatestMagazineTopicsPodcastsStoreReading ListsData & VisualsCase SelectionsHBR ExecutiveSearch hbr.orgSubscribeLatestPodcastsThe MagazineStoreWebinarsNewslettersAll TopicsReading ListsData & VisualsCase SelectionsHBR ExecutiveMy LibraryAccount SettingsSign InExplore HBRLatestThe MagazinePodcastsStoreWebinarsNewslettersPopular TopicsManaging YourselfLeadershipStrategyManaging TeamsGenderInnovationWork-life BalanceAll TopicsFor SubscribersReading ListsData & VisualsCase SelectionsHBR ExecutiveSubscribeMy AccountMy LibraryTopic FeedsOrdersAccount SettingsEmail PreferencesSign InHarvard Business Review LogoEmployee engagementLeaders Underestimate the Value of Employee Joy by Deborah Lovich, Hubert Joly and Chenault TaylorMarch 24, 2026Illustration by Miguel PorlanPostPostShareSavePrintSummary.   Leer en españolLer em portuguêsPostPostShareSavePrintCompany leaders have long claimed that people are their greatest asset. Yet many still design work as if employees were just one of many operational inputs, leaving their greatest assets feeling dissatisfied and unmotivated. Companies have become masters at understanding their customers. They map customer journeys, study their behaviors, and use predictive analytics to anticipate their needs with astonishing precision. But when it comes to understanding their employees—the very people who create those customer experiences—most organizations still rely on intuition, surface-level data, or generic, infrequent surveys.Deborah Lovich is a managing director and senior partner in the Boston office of Boston Consulting Group. She is a Future of Work fellow of the BCG Henderson Institute and author of the upcoming book, Make Work Work: The Five Practices of the Employee-Centric Leader.Hubert Joly is the former chairman and CEO of Best Buy, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, and the author of The Heart of Businesss: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021).Chenault Taylor is a principal at BCG and an ambassador at the BCG Henderson Institute.PostPostShareSavePrintRead more on Employee engagement or related topics High potential employees, Employee performance management and Behavioral sciencePartner CenterStart my subscription!Explore HBRThe LatestAll TopicsMagazine ArchiveReading ListsCase SelectionsHBR ExecutivePodcastsWebinarsData & VisualsMy LibraryNewslettersHBR PressHBR StoreArticle ReprintsBooksCasesCollectionsMagazine IssuesHBR Guide SeriesHBR 20-Minute ManagersHBR Emotional Intelligence SeriesHBR Must ReadsToolsAbout HBRContact UsAdvertise with UsInformation for Booksellers/RetailersMastheadGlobal EditionsMedia InquiriesGuidelines for AuthorsHBR Analytic ServicesCopyright PermissionsAccessibilityDigital AccessibilityManage My AccountMy LibraryTopic FeedsOrdersAccount SettingsEmail PreferencesHelp CenterContact Customer ServiceExplore HBRThe LatestAll TopicsMagazine ArchiveReading ListsCase SelectionsHBR ExecutivePodcastsWebinarsData & VisualsMy LibraryNewslettersHBR PressHBR StoreArticle ReprintsBooksCasesCollectionsMagazine IssuesHBR Guide SeriesHBR 20-Minute ManagersHBR Emotional Intelligence SeriesHBR Must ReadsToolsAbout HBRContact UsAdvertise with UsInformation for Booksellers/RetailersMastheadGlobal EditionsMedia InquiriesGuidelines for AuthorsHBR Analytic ServicesCopyright PermissionsAccessibilityDigital AccessibilityManage My AccountMy LibraryTopic FeedsOrdersAccount SettingsEmail PreferencesHelp CenterContact Customer ServiceFollow HBRFacebookX Corp.LinkedInInstagramYour NewsreaderHarvard Business Review LogoAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCopyright InformationTrademark PolicyTerms of UseHarvard Business Publishing:Higher EducationCorporate LearningHarvard Business ReviewHarvard Business SchoolCopyright ©2026 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

Leaders Underestimate the Value of Employee Joy by Deborah Lovich, Hubert Joly and Chenault Taylor

Despite a long-held belief that employees represent a company’s most significant asset, many organizations continue to structure work processes as if employees were merely operational inputs, frequently resulting in dissatisfaction and decreased motivation among their workforce. The article highlights a critical disconnect within many businesses – a pronounced lack of understanding regarding the intrinsic value of employee joy. This deficiency stems from a persistent reliance on intuition, superficial data analysis, and infrequent surveys when attempting to gauge employee sentiment. The authors suggest that companies have become adept at meticulously analyzing customer behavior, employing techniques like mapping customer journeys and utilizing predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs with remarkable accuracy. However, this focused approach is conspicuously absent when it comes to understanding and addressing the experiences and well-being of employees, who directly shape those customer interactions.

Deborah Lovich, a managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group, frames this issue within the broader context of “Make Work Work,” advocating for a leadership style centered around employee-centric practices. Her forthcoming book, “Make Work Work,” emphasizes five key practices for leaders to adopt, focusing on cultivating a work environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated. Hubert Joly, the former chairman and CEO of Best Buy and a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, underscores the importance of leadership principles rooted in human connection and empathy, drawing upon his insights from his book, “The Heart of Business.” Joly’s work emphasizes that genuine leadership extends beyond strategic decision-making to encompass a deep understanding of employee needs and a commitment to fostering a positive and supportive work culture. Chenault Taylor, a principal at BCG, contributes to this discussion through her role as an ambassador at the BCG Henderson Institute, reinforcing the need for a data-driven approach to employee engagement that goes beyond simple metrics.

The article implicitly criticizes the conventional approach to talent management, which often prioritizes quantifiable metrics and operational efficiency over the human element. It argues that by overlooking employee joy, companies forfeit a significant potential for improved performance, innovation, and ultimately, customer satisfaction. The authors suggest that a shift in perspective is necessary—one that recognizes employee well-being not as a peripheral concern, but as a fundamental driver of business success. The piece advocates for a more proactive and nuanced understanding of employee needs, utilizing data and feedback not just to identify problems, but to actively cultivate an environment where employees feel valued, energized, and capable of contributing their best work. The authors ultimately propose that prioritizing employee joy is not merely a "nice-to-have" but a critical strategic imperative for sustainable organizational success.