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By Kristin Withrow, Sr. Communications Specialist, CSDA

Employee commitment is not a buzzword for Joe Mull - it's his life's work. As an Employee Commitment Expert, author, and sought-after keynote speaker, Mull has spent years studying what draws people to an organization, the factors that convince them to stay, and what inspires them to stay tapped in with their best effort in the long term. As the CSDA General Manager Leadership Summit keynote speaker in 2026, we are excited to bring his research-back insights, relatable storytelling style and practical tips to conference attendees this year.

The Great Boss Factor is keenly relevant for special district leaders navigating workforce retention, succession planning and evolving employee expectations.

"Commitment appears when employees are in their ideal job doing meaningful work for a great boss," said Mull. While that sounds like a tall order to reach, Mull breaks it down into three prime elements strong leaders should consider to hit their ultimate goal: being a great boss.

What Makes A Great Boss Anyway?

While there is no single trait or personality type that defines great leadership, research consistently points to three experiences that employees associate with great bosses: trust, coaching, and advocacy.

Trust, Mull says, is a two-way street. Leaders must trust employees once they are trained and equipped, delegating work in way that show confidence in their integrity and ability. At the same time, leaders must earn trust by being present, competent, and reliable.  When trust flows in both directions, the boss-employee relationship becomes the foundation for performance.

Coaching, the second pillar, is often misunderstood. "Coaching is not giving advice, it's not giving feedback, and it's not telling people what to do," said Mull. Coaching is about asking open-ended questions that help employees think through options, clarify their judgment, and determine next steps for themselves. These interactions have a big impact. "There's a lot of research that suggests it's kind of a secret sauce to employee engagement because it makes people feel capable and supported," he noted.

Lastly, advocacy shifts the focus off positions and toward people. Great bosses act in the best interest of the humans they lead. That focus is much deeper than the tasks they perform in a role. Advocacy means ensuring employees have the tools, training, information and support they need to succeed, while also recognizing that work impacts quality of life, career trajectories, and family life. "We have to view every person in our charge as a human being first, not just a set of tasks and duties to be executed," Mull emphasized.

Leadership in a Changing Workplace

For special districts, Mull's message is particularly timely. Many agencies face long leadership tenures, limited succession pipelines, and teams spanning multiple generations with differing expectations about work culture. Mull sees this less as a tenure problem and more as a learning and development challenge.

"If you have somebody in a leadership role for years, or even decades, we'd like to think they're being given the ongoing support and training they need," he said. When leaders don't have support, or don’t take advantage of growth opportunities presented, the agency risks stagnation.

Remote and hybrid work environments add another layer of complexity. Mull encourages leaders to focus less on monitoring tasks and more on clearly defining desired outcomes. In environments where leaders can't see work happening, trust and clarity become essential. Leaders must define what success looks like, then coach and advocate to help employees achieve it.

Across all environments (office, hybrid, remote), Mull believes the most effective leaders share on common trait: humanity. "The answer to the question, 'What kind of boss do people want most?' is human," he said. Employees want to feel seen, believed in, and treated as capable contributors to something that matters.

Reaching Beyond the Summit

While attendees of the 2026 General Manager Leadership Summit will hear Mull bring ideas to life through stories, humor, and audience interaction, his lessons are available for our readers to apply to their day-to-day. For those interested in exploring his message further, Mull regularly shares practical leadership guidance on his YouTube channel, @Better Boss, which features a range of short, educational videos on leadership, teams and other work themes. His book, Employalty, expands on these themes and is available to purchase on Amazon. Summit attendees will have an opportunity to have their copy signed following his address if they bring it with them.