390 Beyond Engagement: What Great Leaders Actually Do Differently to Earn Commitment with Dave Garrison, Author, The Buy-In Advantage

What if your employees appear engaged, but aren’t truly committed? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dave Garrison, an experienced CEO, board member, and author of The Buy-In Advantage: Why Employees Stop Caring and How Great Leaders Inspire Commitment. Drawing on his work with companies like Ameritrade and his experience advising leaders across sectors, Dave explains why engagement metrics are often misleading—and how leaders can create the conditions for real buy-in.

The conversation begins by examining the gap between how leaders think about motivation and how people actually commit to meaningful work. Dave offers a compelling distinction between surface-level engagement and genuine buy-in, the kind that drives ownership, initiative, and sustained performance. He challenges the assumptions behind many well-intended leadership practices and makes the case for a more human, purpose-driven approach.

Together, Mahan and Dave explore how leadership habits—especially those rooted in control or speed—can unintentionally suppress the very commitment leaders are trying to cultivate. Dave shares practical ways to shift the dynamic: asking catalytic questions, reframing roles, and creating environments where people feel seen, heard, and responsible for the outcomes they help shape.

This is not a conversation about perks or communication plans. It’s about understanding the deeper dynamics of commitment in today’s evolving workplace—and how great leaders create clarity, connection, and accountability. Whether you’re leading a boardroom, a leadership team, or a transformation effort, this episode will reframe how you think about performance, trust, and the leadership behaviors that unlock both.

Actionable Takeaways

• You’ll learn why engagement scores can mislead leaders—and what they fail to measure about actual commitment.
  
  
  
• Hear how high-performing leaders create emotional buy-in that drives discretionary effort, not just attendance.
  
  
  
• Discover why most organizations leave their team’s passion and ownership “in the parking lot,” and how to bring it into Monday morning meetings.
  
  
  
• Learn what questions to ask that help people feel valued, challenge assumptions, and inspire initiative.
  
  
  
• Hear how the most effective leaders reframe their role from directive to catalytic—without sacrificing speed or results.
  
  
  
• Understand why buy-in starts before the hire and how purpose and values can shape more successful recruiting.
  
  
  
• Explore how to lead through uncertainty as a Chief Reassurance Officer, and why clarity and repetition matter more than inspiration.
  
  
  
• Learn how to avoid the common leadership trap of solving problems too quickly—and what to do instead to spark commitment.
  
  
  

Connect with Dave Garrison

Dave Garrisson Website 

The Buy-In Advantage Book 

Dave Garrison LinkedIn 

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn

Partnering Leadership Website