What do Employees want from their Leaders?

What do employees want from their leaders? The short answer to this is ‘very little more than they did a decade ago’. So why do we hear so much more about the changing role of leadership?

Political uncertainty, financial insecurity, pace of information being shared, rate of change, impatience in our behaviour, shifting priorities, personal demands on our time, lack of empathy, close-mindedness, the list could go on. Many of these things are valid but wouldn’t have been tolerated in years gone by. The good news is, we can take simple, low actions to improve the partnership between leader and teams.

Trust Begins at the Ground Level

Trust remains paramount when uncertainty dominates the workplace landscape. Employees want leaders who genuinely invest in building trust from the ground up. This means demonstrating consistency, keeping promises, and being transparent about both challenges and opportunities ahead. Actions that demonstrate and build trust can’t be opted into when times are tough or uncertain. Whether you have a bricks and mortar workplace or a remote team, they need to be certain that you and your fellow leaders can be trusted, in their decision making, in your strategy, in your communication and in your willingness to listen.

Openness to Feedback

Employees increasingly value leaders who remain receptive to honest feedback. Regular forums, anonymous surveys, and open-door policies are becoming essential tools for leadership teams. These avenues for input allow employees to share their perspectives and concerns, leading to stronger rapport and improved problem-solving. We all want to know that we are valued for our input and contribution, our ideas and our experience. Being heard goes beyond having your say, being heard means your ideas were considered and further insights may have been called upon.

Clarity and Consistency in Strategy

Employees are seeking reassurance through a single-source strategy, a defined direction that cuts through noise and conflicting messages. Leaders who communicate a focused vision and strategy reduce confusion and help employees prioritise their efforts effectively. Single source strategy isn’t as simple as it sounds. Many of us think we have clarity in our strategy because it’s on a poster. Here is a mindful way to look at it.

Vision – why are we here?
Values – how do we engage with others?
Strategy – what are we trying to achieve (big hint, it’s not making money, making money is an outcome)
Tactics – the key daily focuses that ensure we achieve our strategy

Robust Decision-Making Processes

With clearly defined intent you are more likely to see evolving risks and opportunity. Employees expect leadership to adopt robust processes for making decisions even if they are reacting to an emergent tactic. Transparent frameworks for evaluating options, consulting relevant stakeholders, and communicating outcomes provide a sense of security, even when tough calls are made. Defining the problem once will often leave gaps in the relevant information. Ask, define, ask, define, ask, define. Good employees will value the depth of your process.

The Bottom Line

Employees want to see leaders who value trust, encourage feedback, offer clear direction, and implement strong decision-making. Addressing these expectations may be key to retaining talent and propelling organisations toward stability and future growth. Building leadership development KPI’s for all leaders in your business provides measurable action, but more than that, it demonstrates to your teams that leadership is a big deal around here. It’s not a title, it is a measurable quality and something we are all striving to improve.

What do leaders want from their employees - the opportunity to improve their leadership capability.