Getting dealt a bad hand at work isn't the end of the world. Especially for content employees. According to Annie McKee, Ph.D., who is a best-selling business book author and advisor to top global leaders, from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to government officials, those who are engaged with their jobs and colleagues work harder — and smarter. But that's quite rare.

"Far too many couldn’t care less about what’s happening around them," McKee wrote in Harvard Business Review. "For them, Wednesday is 'hump day' and they’re just working to get to Friday. And then there’s the other end of the bell curve — that nearly one out of five employees is actively disengaged. These people are sabotaging projects, backstabbing colleagues, and generally wreaking havoc in their workplaces."

"Disengaged, unhappy people aren’t any fun to work with, don’t add much value, and impact our organizations (and our economy) in profoundly negative ways," McKee explained.

"It’s even worse when leaders are disengaged because they infect others with their attitude. Their emotions and mindset impact others’ moods and performance tremendously. After all, how we feel is linked to what and how we think. In other words, thought influences emotion, and emotion influences thinking."

McKee thinks it’s time to finally blow up the myth that feelings don’t matter at work.

"Science is on our side: there are clear neurological links between feelings, thoughts, and actions. When we are in the grip of strong negative emotions, it’s like having blinders on," she said. "We focus mostly — sometimes only — on the source of the pain. We don’t process information as well, think creatively, or make good decisions. Frustration, anger, and stress cause an important part of us to shut down —the thinking, engaged part. Disengagement is a natural neurological and psychological response to pervasive negative emotions."