Current employment numbers paint an optimistic picture of hiring in the United States. The unemployment rate has fallen and the number of separations has declined. However, while a low unemployment rate looks good on the surface, the quality of the relationship between employer and employee seems to be declining. “The quality of our employer, employee relationships is downright dysfunctional,” writes Dov Seidman, founder and CEO of LRN. “The primary reason for this is that we're doing too much shifting and not enough elevating. If leaders fail to recognize and correct this mindset and the habits it fosters, organizations are headed for more, and nastier, breakups.” By “elevating,” Seidman refers to the tendencies some employers have when correcting and improving behavior. Rather than motivating in traditional ways—often through coercion—he recommends leaders elevate their employees by inspiring them to reach their true potential.