Is Common Sense the Latest Management Fad?

After a couple of months of gearing up to start my frontline leadership training business and, hopefully sooner than later, finish and market my book, I had to take a break to survey the current frontline leadership and management landscape.

It appears to be somewhat complex and confusing to my keep-it-simple mindset.

It all began the day it occurred to me that evidently it is new news to many that the reason many employees leave a company is because they are dissatisfied with their immediate supervisor. Or that engaged employees are significantly more productive than employees who are not engaged. (When did "engagement" replace "involvement?") Or that praising employees can be highly beneficial and motivational? Or that people who are treated fairly respond to direction better than people who are treated poorly. etc, etc...

After thirty years of leading highly successful "teams" through an educate, motivate, and appreciate philosophy, I assumed those "management concepts" were simple common sense that most people would have learned long before they became leadersa and mangers.

So when and why did they forget?