The four things followers crave from leaders

Leadership is a weighty responsibility, but understanding what truly matters to those we lead can transform that weight into wings. Recently, I found myself captivated by the “Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want” from The World Governments Summit and Gallup. The findings not only validated what many of us intuitively know but also provided clarity on where leaders should focus their development efforts. Hallelujah, we need some focus, am I right!?

Leaders Matter More Than You Think

“It’s not nothing!” as a good friend of mine would say. In fact, it’s quite significant. The report reveals that 57% of respondents identified a family leader as having the most positive influence on their lives. Not exactly shocking news – families shape us profoundly. But here’s where it gets interesting: workplace leaders came in second at nearly 20%.

Let that sink in. One-fifth of people point to someone at work as the person who has the most positive influence in their lives. Not their childhood hero, not a spiritual leader; their boss or workplace mentor.

As the report states, “Leaders in the world of work have a huge capacity to improve the lives of others.”

Gulp. No pressure, right?

The Four Universal Needs

Before you start panic-ordering leadership books by the dozen, there’s good news. Gallup’s research across 52 countries reveals that followers consistently want the same four things from their leaders, regardless of culture, industry, or even world events:

Hope

The 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

Not all needs are created equal. The winner is… hope, by a landslide. People want to believe that tomorrow can be better than today, and they look to leaders to paint that picture and guide them toward it.

Constancy Amid Change

Perhaps most fascinating is the consistency of these needs. Despite our rapidly evolving world, with its technological disruptions, geopolitical shifts, and environmental challenges, what people expect from their leaders remains remarkably stable. And hope remains on top.

This doesn’t mean leaders shouldn’t adapt their approaches to different situations and people. Of course they should! But the underlying needs they’re addressing don’t change. Whether you’re leading through a global pandemic, a political shift, or a routine Tuesday, your people are looking to you for hope, trust, compassion, and stability.

Focus Your Development

So, if you’re asking, “With so many leadership capabilities I need to build, where should I focus my efforts?”, start here. Develop your ability to:

• Inspire hope by clearly articulating a compelling vision
• Build trust through consistent integrity and transparent communication
• Show genuine compassion by actively listening and demonstrating care
• Create stability by providing psychological safety and clear expectations

The beauty of these four needs is their simplicity. They cut through the noise of leadership buzzwords and trendy frameworks to remind us what truly matters to us humans. They’re the leadership equivalent of comfort food; what people crave when the world feels uncertain.

So when thoughts like, “Does what I do really matter?” creeps into your mind, know your influence as a leader isn’t inconsequential. It’s potentially life-changing. And knowing where to focus your development efforts is good for your career and the people whose lives you touch every day.

Find the report that got my brain firing on all cylinders through Gallup here: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/656315/leadership-needs-of-followers.aspx or through The World Government Summit here: https://www.worldgovernmentssummit.org/observer/reports/detail/global-leadership-report–what-followers-want

The World Governments Summit functions as a thought leadership platform and networking hub for policymakers, experts and pioneers in human development.