Business leader David Rocker has identified what he calls a "confidence crisis" affecting workers and entrepreneurs across industries, pointing to declining engagement metrics and limited access to mentorship as key challenges. According to a 2023 Gallup report cited by Rocker, employee engagement has dropped for two consecutive years, with fewer than 33% of U.S. workers feeling connected at work. For new entrepreneurs, more than 40% report lacking access to mentors, advisors, or necessary resources, creating environments where individuals are often left to navigate complex decisions alone.
Rocker emphasizes that traditional systems—financial, social, and operational—frequently feel too rigid or unresponsive, leaving people to fix problems independently without adequate support. He argues that this approach is unsustainable, noting that "most people don't get the blueprint" for success and are instead "tossed into the deep end and told to swim." Drawing from his experience during the dot-com bust, where he witnessed a startup fail, Rocker stresses that leadership isn't about pretending things are predictable but about preparing for change through structure and reflection.
The solution, according to Rocker, lies in building practical support systems through mentorship, feedback loops, and shared problem-solving rather than grand gestures. He advocates for a return to basics like in-person interactions and one-on-one coaching, which he believes offer guidance that digital resources cannot replicate. "You can hand someone a check," Rocker explains, "but if no one walks them through the hard calls—hiring, systems, strategy—it won't last." This perspective is rooted in his work with NYSA Capital LLC and The Rocker Group, LLC, where he applies systems engineering principles to help businesses achieve sustainable growth.
To address the immediate challenges, Rocker proposes 10 actionable steps that individuals can implement within a week. These include identifying and fixing clunky processes, blocking time for reflection, seeking advice from experienced peers, offering help to others, and reviewing financial or scheduling bottlenecks. He also recommends scheduling in-person meetings, eliminating low-value tasks, taking moments to slow down, and expressing gratitude to past mentors. By committing to one of these actions and sharing the approach with others, Rocker believes people can collectively build more resilient systems. "You don't need to fix everything," he concludes. "You just need to begin."
