Whether you lead a printing company or a country, you are leading people. Although most of us will never lead a sovereign nation, Gallup’s recent “Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want” is worth the read. Released at the World Governments Summit last year, the report contains insights that every leader can take to heart.
The Global Leadership Report is based on survey of more than 30,000 adults in 52 countries and builds on decades of Gallup research into what people need from their leaders. The data confirm that “followers” (or, in a printing company’s case, employees) seek one thing above all else: a sense of hope (56%). When it comes to organizational leaders, this rises to 64%. Hope is followed by trust, compassion, and stability.
Hope, Trust, Compassion, and Stability
Gallup obtained these results by asking two simple questions: What leader has been most influential in your daily life? What three words describe this leader? Among respondents working for an employer, the number one type of leader mentioned was a family member (44%). This was followed by a manager (21%) or an organizational leader (9%).
Regardless of the leader type, what “followers” seek has remained remarkably stable over time. In fact, the top needs of followers (or employees) has remained the same since the study was first conducted in 2005. They are the following:
- Hope: Followers need to feel positive about the future and for leaders to provide clear direction.
- Trust: The need for honesty, respect, and integrity.
- Compassion: The need to feel cared about and listened to.
- Stability: The need for psychological safety and secure foundations during times of uncertainty.
Gallup coded and grouped the answers into eight higher-level attributes that any leader, including those of printing companies, can keep in mind when communicating with their teams.
Under hope were the following:
- Inspiration, vision, and personal integrity.
- Growth, learning, development, and achievement.
- Financial growth, support, and independence.
Under trust were the following:
- Communication, approachability, and trust.
- Collaboration, teamwork, and compromise.
Under compassion:
- Emotional intelligence, compassion, and wellness.
- Service, altruism, mentorship, and support.
Under stability:
- Stability, structure, accountability, and responsibility.
How any leader puts these into action (or not) will be uniquely personal. But knowing these attributes and their importance to the people who look up to you can be of great benefit when crafting policies and company communications and, perhaps more importantly, in personal conversations.
We are entering times of great uncertainty, and your employees will be looking to you for leadership. Frame up your communications through this lens and you may inspire you employees to follow you through (almost) anything.
