What do teams want from leaders today?

Hi everyone, this is William Davis and this is today's Leadership Minute. November 2023, the U.S. News and World Report Harris Poll came out and found that 78% of the respondents believe we have a leadership crisis in corporate America. It's a fact. We all see it. So the question is, as we begin 2026, What do teams want most from leaders today? Well, I have a few suggestions. First, I think they want clarity. Not just the where are we going, but why. You see, when we allow our teams to understand the why of what we're doing, it brings abilities for them to think outside the box and oftentimes brings much better results. The second thing is they want consistency, especially under pressure. They want someone who is calm, not reactionary. They want someone who respects them as a human being and will treat them as a human being, not just a resource. They want to be able to trust the person that's leading them, but also be trusted. They don't want somebody who's going to control them, but they want the autonomy to think. And be able to do their jobs. And they want support, a leader who advocates for them, not just in the good times, but in the bad. And they also want meaningful communication, not just directives. You see, people are not asking for perfect leaders. They're asking for honest ones. They're asking for predictable ones. Those who are willing to invest in them, get to know them as humans, and to build that genuine relationship. You see, leaders don't just manage work, they lead humans. And when you lead that way with that mindset, trust me, your teams can tell a difference immediately. This is William Davis, and that's today's Leadership Minute.