The most important qualities in a supervisor are also those that employees feel their supervisors exhibit least often. More than 4 in 10 employees are at risk of leaving their jobs in 2017; 84 percent of employees want leaders who have the humility to admit when they are wrong, but only 51 percent of supervisors do this regularly. Dale Carnegie Training polled 3,100 workers in 13 countries, from junior employees to CEOs.
The most important qualities in a supervisor are also those that employees feel their supervisors exhibit least often, according to a new global study of leadership behaviors in the U.S. and around the world conducted by Dale Carnegie Training, the iconic global leadership training provider. The first of its kind at Dale Carnegie, the Global Leadership Study explores the impact of leadership qualities on inspiring employees to their best work, and driving job satisfaction and retention in the U.S. and around the world.
“Employees are more satisfied with their job and more likely to stay when their leaders are honest, trustworthy and true to their beliefs,” says Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training. “As the war for talent only gets more competitive, it is critical for leaders to develop positive behaviors that will inspire employees to stay and do their best work.” The Dale Carnegie Global Leadership Study was conducted across four regions and 13 countries, revealing remarkable similarities in the way employees perceive their leaders and how they view leadership qualities more generally.
The Leadership Gap
One of the most important things a leader can do to inspire and motivate employees is to have the humility to admit when they are wrong. According to survey respondents, U.S. supervisors must develop several key behaviors to meet the demands of their employees. Survey respondents reported that the most important qualities in a supervisor are also those that supervisors exhibit the least often. In the most striking example, 84 percent of U.S. employees said it is important for supervisors to admit mistakes, but according to these same employees only 51 percent of supervisors exhibit this behavior often – a gap of 33 percent.
Other behaviors with the biggest gaps include:
Job Satisfaction and Retention
Behaviors of the immediate supervisor have a significant impact on job satisfaction and retention. About 15 percent of Americans said they are looking for a new job, while more than a quarter (26 percent) said they will look for a new job within the year – meaning more than 4 in 10 employees could leave their current jobs in 2017. Just 24 percent of U.S. employees are very satisfied with their job, while an additional 48 percent said they are somewhat satisfied. In the U.S., significantly more employees reported being highly satisfied with their jobs than those worldwide (24 percent vs. 18 percent), and slightly fewer also reported being very dissatisfied (3 percent vs. 4 percent).
The Top 5 Qualities of an Effective Leader
Effective leaders create an environment that is safe for employees, where they feel accepted and respected; those leaders listen, value their employees’ contribution, and respect their opinions. U.S. employees say the top five attributes of supervisors that motivate and inspire them are: Encouraging improvement (79 percent); Giving praise and appreciation (74 percent); Recognising performance improvement (72 percent); Admitting shortfalls before criticizing (68 percent) and allowing employees to save face in difficult situations (60 percent). These leadership qualities also have a positive effect on employee retention and satisfaction. Employees are often more dissatisfied or likely to be on the job hunt if a supervisor does not exhibit these qualities: an employee is nearly ten times more likely to be very satisfied with their job when their leader is always honest and trustworthy. If the leader is not, they are four times more likely to be looking for a job right now.
