What do employees want most from their leaders? It’s a crucial question, especially in an industry like healthcare that is doing everything we can think of to engage and keep good employees. So, when we find that the answer hasn’t changed in two decades, we take note.
In 2005, Gallup did a U.S. study that revealed the “four needs of followers.” Then, 20 years later, it published its Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want and released it at the World Governments Summit 2025. What’s fascinating is that the four things people want from their leaders hadn’t changed at all.
You can read the details here, but the gist of it is that people are looking for trust, compassion, and stability from their leaders…and topping the list is hope. According to the report, “Over half (56 percent) of all attributes linked to influential leaders in daily life speak to the theme of hope—far outdistancing the next most important need of trust (33 percent).”
Think about it: A lot has changed in 20 years. But the needs of followers have not. And certainly, the need for hope has not. People don’t want toxic positivity. Rather, there’s a deep need to believe that the future can be better than the present, that there is a path to get there, and that we have a role in making it happen.
Why does hope matter? People can tolerate a difficult present when they believe there is a path to a better future. What wears them down is believing nothing they do will make a difference. Hope keeps them invested and engaged in the work (when people don’t think anything will change, they naturally quit putting forth discretionary effort). It helps them believe they can influence their environment, not just endure it. It provides a reason to stay. A hopeful employee will say, “This is difficult, but I believe we can make it better.”
The need for hope cuts across generations. But as Dr. Katherine A. Meese and I explore in the book Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce, it might be especially urgent for younger employees, many of whom are struggling to feel hopeful for the future.
When you first read about hope, you might think it’s “soft.” But real hope isn’t based on reassurance, but on hard evidence that things are going to be okay.
The question is, how do you bring it to life for people? The best strategy for creating hope is connecting it to business realities and communicating the plan so that people feel they are a part of the solution. Leaders are often working very hard to solve problems. Letting people know what you are doing not only reduces anxiety but helps them see their own role in the plan.
How to Inspire (and Better Yet, Communicate) Hope:
- Give people context: Here’s what’s happening in the external environment, and here’s what it means for our organization. Be truthful about financial, workforce, regulatory, and other pressures. The more they know about what’s influencing decisions, the more they will understand them. We shouldn’t expect our teammates on the front line to understand all the nuances of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but we can put some of the impact in context.
- Spell out the action: Here is what we are doing to fix the problems. Here’s what we’re stopping that doesn’t make sense anymore. Here’s how we are maximizing every opportunity.
- Connect action to impact: Here is how what we’re doing will make things better for all of us (employees, patients, and the organization).
- Highlight the progress: Here is what we have already accomplished. Here are the outcomes. Here are the metrics that show the forward trajectory. Don’t wait for the big win. Small wins show people that together we’re moving the needle. Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate those incremental wins!
In other words, hope isn’t about telling people “everything will be fine”; it’s about giving them solid reasons to believe it. Show them the challenge. Show them the plan. Show them how the plan will make a difference. Then show them the progress.
That’s how leaders turn hope into more than a feeling. It becomes a catalyst for action, giving people a reason to stay engaged, keep trying, and help create what comes next. And after 20 years of massive change, it is still the constant. It’s still what people need most from us. Let’s make sure we give it to them.
Learn more about leadership practices that create hope, build trust, and keep people engaged at the Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future conference, October 20–21,
