New data shows that leadership is currently in crisis, with large majorities of people who say they don’t admire leaders, don’t trust them and don’t think they care about others. But you can be a leader that people value and believe in. Amid the leadership vacuum, it’s possible to lead effectively and be an alternative to all those who are perceived as poor.
Leadership is especially critical today, even as people are critical of leaders. Fully 72% of people believe we’re experiencing a leadership crisis, based on a survey by The Harris Poll and US News & World Reports.
In a world that is polarized, volatile, uncertain, complex and shifting all the time, your leadership can offer a beacon of both continuity and hope.
How to Lead Effectively
Here are three ways to make a positive impact.
1. Offer Stability and Clarity
People believe the world is changing too fast to deal with, so as a strong leader, you can offer both stability and clarity.
In fact, across 31 countries and territories and almost 30,000 people, 78% say that the world is changing too fast for them to deal with, according to a survey by GlobeScan. They are in polycrisis, overwhelmed by the belief that there are multiple types of crises in multiple places with multiple implications.
You can lead effectively by communicating with clarity and cadence. Let people know what’s happening and how it relates to your organization and people’s roles. Stop short of making promises or predictions but do share what you know. You can’t provide certainty, but you can provide clarity.
Update people with a regular frequency on what’s happening, how it affects the organization and their roles. Also let people know the direction you’re going, what you’re working on as a company and the questions you’re exploring. Let them know what’s changing and what isn’t.
Be honest at the same time you offer a calm approach. Focus on the future with both pragmatism (how you’ll take positive action) and optimism (how you’ll persevere for positive impact).
This approach will give people a sense of stability through your regular, calm communication. It will also give them clarity to help them see as much as possible about what’s going on and what’s coming up.
2. Offer Integrity and Transparency
An incredible 82% of people believe that the values held by business leaders don’t align with those of everyday Americans, according to the Harris Poll and US News survey. And 61% of people believe that leaders actively try to mislead them, according to a survey of 32,000 across 28 countries by Edelman.
You can lead effectively by demonstrating integrity and also transparency. Commit yourself to important values. A comprehensive study of more than 60 different global societies by the University of Oxford found that we tend to value seven moral rules. These include helping your family, helping your group, demonstrating reciprocity, demonstrating bravery, respecting a hierarchy and your superiors, dividing resources in an equitable way and respecting ownership of property. These offer a helpful guide to behaviors with positive effects.
In addition, people don’t trust what they don’t understand, and openness is one of the primary ways to build trust. Let people know what the why behind your actions and be explicit about your choices. Also focus on being yourself and demonstrating alignment between what you say and what you do.
A brilliant leader at a global manufacturing organization used to say, “You’re behaving so loudly, I can hardly hear what you’re saying.” When your speech and your actions don’t match, people will believe what you do, so always strive to match what you say with how you act.
For example, if you say you value people, be sure to delegate effectively and give recognition. If you say you want innovation, create space for people to try, test, experiment, fail, learn and improve. If you say you value excellence, give people feedback, hold them accountable and reward those who deliver results.
Be clear about what you expect of others. In addition, be realistic in what you promise. Hold yourself accountable to high standards so you can hold others accountable to high standards as well.
3. Offer Empathy and Compassion
Another sobering statistic is that 88% to 61% of people are fearful of everything from job loss and inflation to climate change, hacking, nuclear war and information war, according to Edelman.
And in the midst of their anxiety and uncertainty, people don’t believe leaders have their best interests at heart. Specifically, the Harris Poll and US News survey found that 85% believe that the majority of leaders prioritize their power, influence and personal interests over others’ interests.
You can lead effectively by focusing on people and offering empathy and compassion. You’ll do this because it’s the right thing as a member of a humane society, but you can also choose this route and expect it will serve you as a leader.
In fact, when leaders are perceived as empathetic, people report greater engagement and innovation. They are also more likely to stick around (retention) and to believe the organization is more inclusive and that it offers greater work-life fulfillment, according to a survey by Catalyst.
When leaders are perceived as empathetic, people also report they are more likely to cooperate and demonstrate empathy themselves, according to studies published in Evolutionary Biology. And when people experience empathy from leaders, they also report better mental health, according to Qualtrics. This allows them to contribute more fully and perform more effectively.
Great leaders are both confident and humble. They provide strong direction at the same time they know they don’t have all the answers and value others’ diverse perspectives. As an effective leader, you can pay attention to what people are going through, ask questions, listen and provide support. Also appreciate their input, points of view and contributions.
4. Lead by Example
Fully 77% of people don’t see any public leaders they admire, while 74% don’t see education leaders, 69% don’t see healthcare leaders and 61% don’t see business leaders they admire or emulate.
Importantly, the primary way people learn is by watching, listening to and experiencing others. This is true of everyone, but it is especially true for leaders. This is because people tend to focus on the choices leaders make and the behaviors they demonstrate. As a result, you have a tremendous influence on others based on how you show up.
You can lead effectively by demonstrating a strong model for others. By doing so, you’ll provide an important alternative for the huge number of people who don’t see leaders they want to emulate.
Lead for Influence and Impact
Offer stability and clarity, integrity and transparency as well as empathy and compassion. While there are a significant number of behaviors that are important, these will give you a strong start toward being a leader who provides a beacon of hope in a world where leadership is increasingly in crisis. You can be a leader who believes in a better tomorrow and who can influence yourself and others in positive ways.