Follow the Followers’ Needs

Two decades ago, Gallup endeavored to better understand the elements of good leadership by studying the views of those affected by leaders, whom the 2005 research study refers to as “followers.” At that time, a survey of 10,000 adults across the US uncovered four main needs:

• Hope—the need to feel positive about the future and for leaders to provide a clear direction

• Trust—the need for honesty, respect, and integrity

• Compassion—the need to feel that leaders care about and listen to you

• Stability—the need for psychological safety and secure foundations during times of uncertainty

During the next 20 years, the world experienced civil unrest, a pandemic, economic uncertainty, and radical developments in artificial intelligence. To explore how those events have reshaped leaders, Gallup conducted a fresh study of more than 30,000 working and nonworking adults across 52 countries.

For the 2025 Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want, researchers used just two prompts: “What leader has the most positive influence on your daily life?” and “List three words that best describe what this person contributes to your life.”

More than half of respondents say a family member has the most positive influence on their lives. The next most influential leader is a manager. Respondents who work for an employer are more likely to name workplace leaders as positively affecting their lives. In total, 34 percent of working adults cite an immediate manager, organizational leader, or colleague as most influential, compared with 6 percent among those who do not work for an employer.

In 2025, hope continues to stand out as the dominant need among followers, with 56 percent tying hope-related attributes to positive leadership. Followers say they look to leaders for inspiration, vision, and displays of personal integrity. Other attributes tied to hope include growth, learning, development, and achievement.

“Hope is a powerful motivator; it gives followers something better to look forward to, enabling them to navigate challenges and work toward a brighter future. Without hope, people can disengage, lose confidence and become less resilient,” the report states.

Because individuals are more likely to need hope from senior leaders of organizations than among other managers and colleagues, Gallup advises company leaders to take an active role in developing hope by initiating change rather than merely responding to it.

Another critical component, trust accounts for one-third of all positive leadership attributes, including compassion and stability.

“Followers need to trust that their leaders can keep their word and be relied on to act with integrity. People are able to collaborate toward shared goals more effectively when trust is present,” notes the report.

In the Gallup article, “What Do People Need Most From Leaders?,” Gallup CEO Jon Clifton and Benedict Vigers, senior global news writer, explain that when leaders understand the needs of their followers, “this not only strengthens the follower-leader relationship but also increases the likelihood that their leadership will have a lasting, positive impact.”

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