Why are we talking about employee engagement quotes? Because in this highly competitive world, organizations can’t afford to treat employees like checkboxes on a spreadsheet. Unmotivated, unappreciated workers cannot compete—and they certainly can’t deliver amazing customer experiences.

In contrast, highly engaged employees bring serious firepower. They’re emotionally invested, financially invested, and they care deeply about your mission. When employees feel seen and supported, they develop emotional commitment to their work. That commitment? It’s the secret sauce behind customer satisfaction and cash flow.

As Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, famously said: “There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow.”

So here are 10 leadership quotes that show how engaged employees drive performance, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. We’ve added real-world takeaways to help you naturally foster employee engagement, inspire your teams, and avoid the trap of disengaged employees who silently crush your culture.

#1. Employees come first

“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin Group

Why it hits: Engaging people at work isn’t a fluffy bonus—it’s the foundation. Want satisfied customers? Start with satisfied employees, because satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to long-term success.

#2. Encourage innovation

“It's about getting the best people, retaining them, nurturing a creative environment, and helping to find a way to innovate.”

Marissa Mayer, co-founder of Lumi Labs, former CEO of Yahoo!

Why it hits: Engaged employees stay, innovate, and bring new ideas. Disengagement is expensive. Engagement is a magnet for new talent, not just a talent contract.

#3. Every day counts

“An employee's job is to give his or her best work every day. A manager's job is to give the employee a good reason to come back to work tomorrow.”

Liz Ryan, CEO and founder of Human Workplace

Why it hits: Engagement starts at the top. Employees who believe they matter will engage with employers. Want loyalty? Show up consistently with trust, recognition, and as much autonomy as possible.

#4. Respect.

“Our mission statement about treating people with respect and dignity is not just words but a creed we live by every day. You can't expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don't exceed the employees' expectations of management.”

Howard Schultz, former CEO and chairman of Starbucks Coffee

Why it hits: In a world where unappreciated workers feel invisible, high-performing companies know that employees mean satisfied customers. Build caring and robust connections, not just policies.

#5. Shared values

“There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization's overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow… It goes without saying that no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”

Jack Welch, former CEO of GE

Why it hits: This quote is the holy trinity of metrics. If your disengaged employees stay, don’t expect results. Focus on building trust, recognized connections, and tracking the key elements of engagement.

#6. Win in the workplace

“To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.”

Doug Conant, CEO of Campbell's Soup

Why it hits: There’s no shortcut here. Highly engaged employees are your frontline champions. In contrast, dispirited, unmotivated, unappreciated workers tank morale, turnover, and performance.

#7. Holistic perspective

“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”

Anne M. Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox

Why it hits: Treating employees as humans worthy of respect is a non-negotiable. Human endeavors thrive on respect and relationship—not empty slogans.

#8. Praise

“Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free and worth a fortune.”

Sam Walton, founder of Walmart

Why it hits: Praise is free. Its ROI? Priceless. Want to motivate employees and maximize employee productivity? Don’t wait for performance reviews to show appreciation.

#9. Be meaningful

“You'll attract the employees you need if you can explain why your mission is compelling: not why it's important in general, but why you're doing something important that no one else is going to get done.””

Peter Thiel, Venture Capitalist

Why it hits: Purpose matters. People are emotionally invested when they see where they fit. Share the “why” behind your mission—it builds community, relationship, customers, and development energy.

#10.  VIP experience

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“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.”

Stephen R. Covey, author and speaker

Why it hits: The way you treat employees becomes your customer service culture. Employee-customer care is a two-way mirror. Reflect greatness.

Final thought

If you want high performance, retention, and customer satisfaction, invest in your people.

Book a demo of Speakap's employee engagement software to help employees engage, communicate, and thrive—wherever they work.