At the beginning of each year, many define new year’s resolutions and try to be “better” in whatever aspect of their lives they would like to change. For us at Stage 4 Solutions, we are committed to being better leaders ourselves and to also supporting our communities to improve leadership skills. In each organization and in each year, different leadership skills are important. Leadership is a skill that needs to constantly change and evolve based upon current needs.

With this, we wondered what is the most important aspect of leaders today? What do employees want from their leaders?

According to a recent survey conducted by Gallop, only 30% of workers in the US reported feeling engaged with their work. Strong leadership is required to build better engagement and to reduce employee resignations that many companies are currently facing.  

We created a survey to poll our community to understand the most important trait of successful leaders. Here is our poll question:

What’s the most important trait of successful team leaders? (single answer)

• Effective communication 64%

• Authenticity 14%

• Compassion 13%

• Open-mindedness  9%

We were a bit surprised to see the significant gap between the results. Effective communication is the winner with 64%. This data shows that being open-minded, compassionate and authentic won’t make a big impact unless the leader is able to communicate effectively. Successful leaders know how to articulate goals and expectations clearly, and also listen to their employees. Communication on all levels throughout the company, involving people from different levels, plays a crucial role in ensuring success.

Authenticity is another key trait that emphasizes transparency, genuineness and honesty. According to a study in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal, authenticity in leadership leads to higher job satisfaction among employees, and has a direct positive impact on work-related attitudes and happiness.

Since 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have all experienced challenges on a different level, and this unprecedented time has forced leaders to become more compassionate than they were before. Incorporating compassion undoubtedly helps create stronger team connections, raising trust and improving team performance.

At Stage 4 Solutions, we have built a truly open, honest, collaborative and inclusive work environment where new and diverse ideas are encouraged and celebrated. Our goal is to continue providing our team members with a positive work environment that promotes individual and team success.