Uncle Ben’s “with great power comes great responsibility” is a standard leadership principle for many, including myself. Also, with every responsibility comes expectations that might make people upset, especially the ones you lead.

The point is… being a leader, as you and I can imagine, is difficult. From time to time, even the most competent leaders deal with the issues that arise within the team that they so dearly trust. Why? Well, that's a completely different debate. A mutiny happens for many reasons (and it happens to every leader), but what's more important is whether or not you, as a leader, is able to spot it and control the damage.

According to a recent report I read, any business that follows the general pattern of the U.S. workforce has more than 17% of employees “actively disengaged”. That means they’re actively trying to hurt the business.

Today, I am going to share a few observations that I have made working with my team at ProofHub and talking to leaders and professionals across the globe. Basically, I will share insights about how, when, and why your own people (your team) could turn against you – and what’s the best thing you can do if you ever spot the signs.

Your employees will (or probably already have) turn against you and your company if:

• You have to constantly tell your employee what to do.
• You look around at your employees and have no influencers.
• You are surrounded by people who have nothing to say.
• Your employees don’t seem to bother talking to you about plans.
• Your employees have no clear opportunity to lead, grow, or be a part of something unique/challenging.

So, these are a few reasons why your people might be upset with you or about to turn against you. And here’s what you should definitely do:

• Quit putting your employees in the state of indecision. Instead, empower them to make decisions.
• Don't always jump into the "leader" role, let your employees do some influencing or mentoring.
• Foster a work environment where the truth and the facts always win.
• Don't enforce, but include your team in your grand vision.
• If you see that there is a problem with your team, you must immediately address it head-on.
• Take responsibility for the problem, if you know there is something you have done to cause it.

Do this and you'll certainly be able to turn mutiny into engagement and enthusiasm. Good luck!

Now, do you have any ideas flowing? Tell me about your big plan for increasing engagement in the comments below!