EP241 – How to Engage the Un-Engaged with Julie Hutchison & Ian Luckett

We begin with a simple truth. If you want to attract and retain A players in your MSP, you need to lead like one. Many business owners want highly engaged, proactive team members who take ownership and drive the business forward. Yet when that energy is missing, the first step is not to blame the team but to reflect on your own leadership. Julie and I explore how your team’s performance is often a direct reflection of the environment you’ve created. A Players don’t arrive fully formed. They grow in the right conditions. 

Julie introduces a practical framework that breaks down team behaviour into three causes. One, they can’t do the job. This may be down to a lack of skill or confidence. Two, they won’t do the job. This points to a relationship issue or something deeper going on beneath the surface. Three, they don’t do the job because they haven’t bought into the direction or they are unclear about it. All of these are leadership challenges. When leaders understand this, they unlock the ability to re-engage and develop every person in their team. 

Throughout the conversation, Julie explains how leaders can assess their teams with this model and then take action. We talk about how engagement is driven by three things. Clear communication. The right skills and confidence. And strong working relationships. If any of these are missing, even a capable and motivated person can start to disengage. The key is to be proactive. Think about each team member, where they are on this scale, and what you need to do to help them move forward. 

One of the strongest moments in this episode comes when Julie challenges the idea that someone is an A player by nature. Instead, she explains that high engagement comes when people know where they are going, feel connected to their leader, and feel capable in their role. Without those three factors in place, even great people can drift. As leaders, we have the responsibility to create that environment. When we do, people step up. 

We share a real example from one of our MSP leaders who believed their team was underperforming. When we applied the framework, it became clear the team were not unmotivated, they were unclear. Direction had not been shared clearly. Conversations had been rushed or avoided. Once that changed, people became more engaged and started contributing ideas and driving projects forward. This is what happens when leadership becomes intentional. 

Julie finishes with a powerful reminder. A players thrive under A leaders. If you want to create a business full of energy, momentum and ownership, it begins with how you show up every day. Your words. Your clarity. Your consistency. And your ability to see what each person needs to perform at their best. This is where real team growth begins. 

This episode is full of practical guidance for MSP owners who are ready to shift how they lead and create a more engaged team. It will help you reflect on how you lead, how you communicate, and how you support others to become more confident, committed and capable. 

Connect on LinkedIn HERE with Ian and also with Stuart by clicking this LINK 

And when you’re ready to take the next step in growing your MSP, come and take the Scale with Confidence MSP Mastery Quiz. In just three minutes, you’ll get a 360-degree scan of your MSP and identify the one or two tactics that could help you find more time, engage & align your people and generate more leads. 

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To join our amazing Facebook Group of over 400 MSPs where we are helping you Scale Up with Confidence, then click HERE 

Until next time, look after yourself and I’ll catch up with you soon!