5 Famously Disengaged Employees in History and the Lessons They Can Teach Us
It’s been said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Let’s consider then a lighthearted look at five famous disengaged employees from history and what their stories might teach us. In retrospect, good practices around recognition, culture management and talent management would have made a big difference for these employees. What about yours?
BENEDICT ARNOLD
Who: War hero and infamous traitorOpens in a new tab
Former Employer: Continental Congress
Status: Defected
Employer’s Failure: Though Arnold was one of their best leaders and soldier, his superiors failed to recognize or credit him for his successes, and instead unjustly demoted him.
Employer’s Big Loss: West Point (nearly) and the cities later sacked and burned by this angry ex-soldier.
Lesson: Recognize and reward employee contributions.
Details: Arnold, whose name is now synonymous with traitor, was a decorated and respected officer for the Revolutionary cause. Repeatedly overlooked and unrewarded, he was so harassed by his superiors that he demanded (and got) a court-martial to clear his name. Exonerated, but bitter and disillusioned, the brilliant general conspired with the British and then joined their side in the war.
WALT DISNEY
Who: Visionary and entertainment tycoonOpens in a new tab
Former Employer: Kansas City Star
Status: Fired
Employer’s Failure: The editor of the Kansas City Star newspaper failed to notice the talent he had working for him. He fired Disney as an illustrator because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
Employer’s Big Loss: Mickey Mouse
Lesson: Discover who your true talent are and cultivate them.
Details: Disney was fired from his job at the paper for… wait for it…. lack of creativity! Clearly, his bosses there failed to inspire him, and that lack of engagement with his work led to lackluster performance. Ironically, years later—after Disney had become wealthy and successful from his ideas— The Walt Disney Company would buy ABC, which owned The Kansas City Star.
MARCUS JUNIUS BRUTUS
Who: Roman politician and betrayerOpens in a new tab
Former Employer: Julius Caesar
Status: Died in Exile
Employer’s Failure: Boss Caesar failed to create a talent management plan that made his employees feel secure in their jobs. So Brutus and pals figured out a way to fire their boss — by way of a pointy dagger.
Employer’s Big Loss: His life
Lesson: Manage talent wisely and be smart about succession planning.
Details: When the idealistic Brutus and his ambitious fellow senators thought Julius Caesar was gathering too much dictatorial power and not being as inclusive as he should be, they started sneaking around behind his back, and in the end stabbed him in it. Et tu Brute?
MARTIN LUTHER
Who: Theological whistle-blower and instigator of ReformationOpens in a new tab
Former Employer: Catholic Church
Status: Excommunicated
Employer’s Failure: Instead of recognizing and supporting Luther for his contributions and reforms, the Church ignored and then retaliated against him.
Employer’s Big Loss: A monopoly on Western Christianity. More than 1/3 of Christians today are Protestant, thanks to Luther.
Lesson: Listen to and recognize employees for their ideas.
Details: Luther was a monk who wanted to reform, not leave the Catholic Church. But his superiors met his ideas with hostility. Luther responded by leading an exodus from the Church, a protest so profound that it spawned a new branch of the Christian religion, Protestantism. The Church later went on to initiate the Counter-Reformation, which addressed most of the issues Luther had raised—but it was too late.
NIKOLA TESLA
Who: Brilliant inventor, and the real genius behind electricityOpens in a new tab
Former Employer: Thomas Edison
Status: Resigned to literally take a job digging ditches
Employer’s Failure: Edison promised a bonus if Tesla was successful on a project. After Tesla’s completion of the project, Edison reneged. Tesla resigned bitterly.
Employer’s Big Loss: After parting ways from Edison, Tesla went on to discover: FM radio, remote control, robots, spark plugs, fluorescent lights, laser beams, wireless communications, Tesla’s turbines, vertical take-off aircraft and the concepts behind the electric car.
Lesson: Appreciate, support and reward your employees, and then happily reap the benefits of their hard work!
Details: The brilliant inventor Tesla was the real genius who harnessed the power of electricity. But employer Edison underestimated and failed to reward Tesla and then lost him as an employee. Though he went on to make many important discoveries, Tesla died in relative obscurity. Edison lost both the genius of Tesla’s inventive mind and ultimately the War of CurrentsOpens in a new tab.
Lessons Learned
Our own malcontent employees are probably unlikely to lead an insurgence or burn our city to the ground, but you can be sure that every day they are stabbing your business in the back. The good news is that many disengaged employees are really just potentially engaged employees whose passion for their work has been stifled or curdled. Win those folks’ hearts and minds, and you can turn potential disaster into measurable success for your business.
About the author
Darcy Jacobsen
Darcy is a passionate storyteller and champion of workforce transformation, human connection, and recognition-driven culture. As an author on the Workhuman Live Blog, she loves to connect deep research insights with modern workplace dynamics to uncover what really drives engagement, belonging, and happiness at work. With a background in communications and a master's in medieval history, she brings a unique perspective to her writing, taking deep dives into all topics around organizational psychology and the science of gratitude.