A recent survey for Gallup’s new Global Leadership Report indicates managers and leaders can have a significant positive influence on employees’ daily lives, according to Inc.
Gallup asked about 13,000 employed respondents across 52 countries to name the leader who has the most positive influence on their daily life. Thirty-one percent said a manager or a leader of their organization had the most positive influence, which ranked second after a family member (44%). Six percent cited a political leader, and 5% cited a religious leader.
The gap is smaller among all U.S. respondents; 30% reported a manager or organizational leader had the greatest positive influence in their daily lives, and 34% said a family member. People in the U.S. work an average of 38 hours per week—more than 62% of other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries—which could help explain the significant influence of managers.
The Gallup report identified the “four needs of followers,” or expectations people tend to place on leaders: hope, trust, compassion and stability. Inc. provides the following ways to help meet these expectations without feeling overburdened.
- Inspiring hope. When approaching the idea of hope, focus on the future and ensure your employees know their relationship with you will contribute to their professional future through skill development and encouragement, even if you are not their boss one day. Be realistic and honest about the future, which can help build trust.
- Building compassion and trust. Consider reframing compassion as empathy, which can place the manager and employee on the same level and create true understanding. When an employee and a manager disagree, the manager should strive to understand the issue. Focus on taking employees’ interests to heart.
- Being a stable influence. Many companies are laying off workers and some are freezing hiring. Providing a sense of stability during a tumultuous time can feel unrealistic. Although managers cannot control external challenges, they can offer stability by honestly and consistently sharing information in a timely manner.
