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Gallup’s latest study confirms that followers in every corner of the globe need trust, compassion and stability from their leaders, but above all, they need hope. And, if leaders deliver what followers need, they can improve others’ wellbeing and reduce their suffering.
These and other findings are presented in Gallup’s new Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want, launched at the World Governments Summit 2025.
To date, no other research has examined the needs of followers across such a large or global sample of people. Gallup asked two questions across 52 countries, representing 76% of the world’s adult population and 86% of global gross domestic product:
1. What leader has the most positive influence on your daily life?
2. Now, please list three words that best describe what this person contributes to your life.
Key findings include:
• Hope is the primary need of followers worldwide, with more than half (56%) of all attributes linked to influential leaders pointing to hope — significantly more than trust (33%), the second most important need.
• Family members and managers are the most frequently cited leaders, but the core needs from leaders are consistent, regardless of the type of leader people identify.
• The need for hope is universal but especially pronounced in certain contexts, including among the youngest generation (18- to 29-years old: 57%), in the Asia-Pacific region (59%) and in relation to organizational leaders (64%).
• Suffering is reduced when leaders meet followers’ needs, particularly the need for hope. Among people who do not mention hope in relation to their most influential leader, 33% are thriving, while 9% are considered suffering. When hope is met, thriving increases to 38%, and suffering drops to just 6%.
• Workplace leaders hold tremendous potential to improve lives.
Thirty-four percent of employed individuals cite someone from their work environment (manager, colleague or organizational leader) as most influential, just slightly fewer than those who name a family member (44%).
Notable insights:
• Family leadership plays an integral role in daily life, with 57% of adults naming a family member as the most influential leader in their lives. Including those who mention a friend (5%), more than three in five adults cite a loved one.
• Approximately 18% of people mention a leader from their work environment, combining managers (11%), organizational leaders (5%) and other colleagues (2%).
• Those who are employed by an employer are more likely to name a work-related leader as influential, with 34% citing a manager, organizational leader or colleague, compared with just 6% of those not working for an employer. Download Gallup’s Global Leadership
Report: What Followers Want to dive deeper into the findings, explore the essential needs of followers and understand how these factors are intricately linked to overall wellbeing.
About Gallup
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.
