18 Oct 2019
According to new research, 58 percent of employees are rarely or never inspired by the leader of the company they work for.
The research, carried out by YouGov online, questioned over 1,000 British employees about their views on their business leaders. Astonishingly, British employees felt that their leaders were setting a poor example around the issues that matter to them today, including managing stress and staying mentally healthy.
As more companies are looking to improve their approaches to mental health, this new research shows a bit of a crisis of leadership. It may come as no surprise, but flexible working played a huge part in the survey, with over half of the workers questioned (54 percent) reporting that they wanted to see their business focus on a better work / life balance for it’s employees.
Sadly, only 23 percent of participants said their business leader sets a good example for work-life balance, only 24 percent on flexible working, and only 17 percent and 11 percent respectively when it comes to mental health and stress.
On a more positive note, small business leaders got more positive feedback than larger firms. One in five people questioned from a small business said they felt their management inspired them often, or all the time.
Employees should never be made to feel uninspired, demotivated or stressed at work, given they spend most of their week working. If you're in a position where staff look to you for inspriation, remember that the way you behave and the values you live at work can have a large impact on your colleagues, so do the right thing, and promote those positive behaviours they need to see from you!
