Why 79% of Employees Are Disengaged - And How Nervous System-Informed Leadership Changes Everything
Discover how regulating your nervous system shifts you from fight/flight leadership to creative impact — using The Leadership Circle Profile and proven nervous system techniques
The Hidden Reason Your Team Stays Disengaged (It's Not What You Think)
The numbers don't lie. According to Gallup's 2025 State of Global Workplace report:
But here's what most leadership development programs miss: The root cause isn't about better communication skills or time management techniques.
It's about your nervous system.
When you're operating from a dysregulated nervous system — stuck in fight/flight or shutdown mode — you lead reactively. Your team feels it. They disengage. Performance suffers.
And the cost? Companies lose up to $8.9 trillion annually due to low engagement levels.
- •Only 21% of employees are engaged globally - a decline that's costing organizations
- •Manager engagement dropped from 30% to 27% - with younger and female managers hit hardest
- •Managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement
The Science Behind Reactive Leadership
Most leaders spend their days in survival mode without even realizing it:
Fight/Flight Leadership
- •Quick, reactive decisions
- •Impatience with team input
- •Micromanaging when stressed
- •Pushing through exhaustion
- •Difficulty listening deeply
Shutdown Leadership
- •Avoiding difficult conversations
- •Procrastinating on key decisions
- •Feeling disconnected from the team
- •Going through the motions
- •Emotional unavailability
The result? Teams mirror your nervous system state. When you're dysregulated, they become disengaged.
What Happens When Leaders Learn to Regulate Their Nervous System
Team engagement increases by up to 18%
Performance improves by 20-28%
Companies see 23% increase in profitability
Employee motivation and retention improve significantly
From Reactive to Creative Leadership
Based on The Leadership Circle Profile framework.
Reactive Leadership Patterns
- Controlling
- Protecting
- Complying
Creative Leadership Competencies
- Relating
- Self-Awareness
- Authenticity
- Systems Awareness
- Achieving
The difference? A regulated nervous system.
Know Your Stress Mode
Discover how your body and mind respond under stress — and how you can shift back into balance
When pressure hits, your nervous system has a default response pattern. Understanding yours is the first step to transforming reactive leadership into creative, grounded presence.
This quick assessment will help you identify whether you tend toward Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn responses — and give you practical tools to regulate your nervous system.
Takes about 2 minutes
The Authentic Leadership Program
4 Months to Transform Your Leadership Impact
What You Get
Phase 1: Assessment & Awareness
Deep dive into your reactive patterns and creative potential
- •30-minute Chemistry Session - Free consultation and Leadership Circle Profile introduction
- •90-minute Leadership Circle Profile Debrief - Deep dive into your reactive patterns and creative potential
Phase 2: Integration & Practice
Nervous system regulation techniques and real-world application
- •5 Monthly 60-minute 1:1 Coaching Sessions
- •Nervous system regulation techniques
- •Leadership presence development
What Makes This Different
Science-informed approach using proven nervous system regulation techniques
Validated assessment tool - The Leadership Circle Profile used by Fortune 500 companies
Practical application - Real leadership challenges, real solutions
Sustainable change - Body-based learning that sticks
About Christian Hofstetter
Current Focus
With over 8 years of experience transforming organizations across Europe, I've learned that sustainable change happens when leaders develop the emotional and relational capacity to show up authentically — especially in moments of complexity and uncertainty.
My journey spans from architecting transformations at enterprise scale to founding my own coaching practice, but the through-line remains constant: helping leaders and teams unlock their full potential through deeper self-awareness and trauma-informed approaches.
Learn more about my approach in my book Creating Space for Teams, where I share practical frameworks for team coaching and facilitation.
Experience
- •350+ employees guided through organizational transformation (Telco)
- •8+ years developing leaders across tech, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, and financial services
- •100+ leaders coached individually through executive and team coaching
- •International reach working with organizations across Switzerland and Europe
- •5 industries served: Tech, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Hospitality, Financial Services
Philosophy
Credentials & Certifications
Why This Approach Works
Having been coached by Christian was a truly valuable experience. His approach felt deeply human and had a great impact on my self-awareness and how I respond to stress and challenges at work.
His coaching helped me gain a deeper understanding of myself, uncovering aspects I hadn’t been fully aware of, parts that shaped how I reacted to pressure or difficult situations. Through his thoughtful questions and positive presence, he created a space where I felt both heard and understood, helping me see and appreciate the full complexity of who I am as a person.
Christian's guidance taught me how to approach work with greater purpose, creativity, and intention, rather than reactivity. I am incredibly thankful for the empathy, depth, and practicality he brought to each session, which truly helped me grow, both personally and professionally.
… Christian has also coached me in some challenging times, and it always gave me a breath of fresh air. I can highly recommend him …
The LCP has severely raised my awareness and understanding of why I behave at work and with my colleagues the way I do. It has fostered my purpose at work now and the professional path ahead of me. At the same time, with Christian’s help in crystallizing my areas of growth, I'm able to make more conscious decisions whenever I am faced with my own triggers. Moreover, I realized that there's no need to be excellent in everything and that it all comes down to being part of an environment that honors my strengths.
Having been coached by Christian was a truly valuable experience. His approach felt deeply human and had a great impact on my self-awareness and how I respond to stress and challenges at work.
His coaching helped me gain a deeper understanding of myself, uncovering aspects I hadn’t been fully aware of, parts that shaped how I reacted to pressure or difficult situations. Through his thoughtful questions and positive presence, he created a space where I felt both heard and understood, helping me see and appreciate the full complexity of who I am as a person.
Christian's guidance taught me how to approach work with greater purpose, creativity, and intention, rather than reactivity. I am incredibly thankful for the empathy, depth, and practicality he brought to each session, which truly helped me grow, both personally and professionally.
Ready to Transform Your Leadership Impact?
The Reality
You're already a capable leader. But imagine what becomes possible when you lead from a regulated nervous system instead of reactive stress patterns.
The Opportunity
The Authentic Leadership Program gives you the tools, frameworks, and support to shift from reactive to creative leadership — backed by neuroscience and measured by The Leadership Circle Profile.
The Investment
For less than the cost of one disengaged employee, you get a complete transformation in how you lead, how your team performs, and how you show up in every aspect of your life.
In this free 30-minute session, we'll discuss your leadership challenges and explore how nervous system regulation can transform your impact.
No obligation. No pressure. Just insights that could change how you lead forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is nervous system-informed leadership coaching?
Nervous system-informed leadership coaching helps leaders understand how their autonomic nervous system affects decision-making and behavior. By learning to regulate stress responses, leaders shift from reactive patterns to creative, intentional leadership that builds trust and psychological safety.
What is the Leadership Circle Profile?
The Leadership Circle Profile is a comprehensive 360-degree assessment that measures leadership effectiveness and underlying assumptions. It reveals reactive tendencies (controlling, protecting, complying) and creative competencies, providing a roadmap for transforming leadership from the inside out through increased self-awareness.
How long is The Authentic Leadership Program?
The Authentic Leadership Program runs for 6 months with personalized 1:1 coaching sessions. The program combines nervous system regulation techniques, Leadership Circle Profile insights, and practical tools to create sustainable leadership transformation. Sessions are tailored to your specific challenges and goals.
Who is this coaching for?
This coaching is designed for executives, senior leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to move beyond reactive leadership patterns. It's ideal for leaders experiencing stress, burnout, or relationship challenges, and those seeking to create more authentic, effective leadership through nervous system awareness.
What makes this approach different from traditional leadership coaching?
This approach integrates nervous system science with leadership development, addressing the root causes of reactive behavior. Unlike traditional coaching that focuses only on skills, this method combines NARM, Somatic Experiencing, and ORSC to create lasting change by working with your body's stress responses.
Do I need to be in Switzerland to work with you?
No, coaching sessions are available both in-person in Magglingen, Switzerland, and online via video conferencing. The program is designed to serve leaders across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and internationally. Online sessions provide the same depth and effectiveness as in-person work.