If you’re interested in leadership, Gallup’s annual global engagement survey is eagerly awaited. This year, it dropped in June. Congratulations to humanity! Engagement, which has long been unbelievably low, is now at an all-time high at 23%. But let’s not pop the champagne just yet. It’s still way too low, of course. Engagement is not just a nice bonus and a delightful feeling of satisfaction at work; it is also a crucial factor in the organization’s success. According to Gallup, low engagement costs the global economy an unreasonable $8.8 trillion or 9% of global GDP. Unfortunately, another thing that has increased in this year’s report is stress. The numbers show a perceived daily stress level of 44% globally, a steady increase over the past ten years. Gallup argues that both the problem and the solution spell leadership.

The Relationship Between Engagement and Stress

The increased stress is, of course, due to several factors, but one of the clearest is finding the right leadership. This is especially important for support in navigating uncertainty and strengthening engagement. A high level of engagement, in turn, acts as a buffer against stress; Gallup’s analysis shows that engagement has 3.8 times the impact on employees’ stress levels as their physical workplace.

Winds of Change

If not before, it became crystal clear during the pandemic that it’s no longer possible to lead based on old standards with a micromanaging approach. The new world order made it especially clear that it’s time for new leadership. Leadership that looks at results and value creation rather than presence and hours. Leadership with the ability to truly listen, communicate, and motivate, regardless of what the physical workplace looks like.

The Solution: New Leadership

The change starts with leadership, and it must happen now. Research is clear: inadequate leadership leads to poorer collective performance. But it’s equally clear that the right kind of leadership can work wonders. Not only making the company more successful but also reducing stress and making life more meaningful for employees.

But it’s not the leaders’ fault that they’re not good enough. The demands on leaders today are enormous. That’s why we’ve spent a lot of time on leadership development in recent years. It ranges from exploring how we ourselves, with our challenges, in our environment, want to lead and live. To navigating, evolving, and persevering when we don’t know what awaits around the corner. To finding the most value-creating and tailored training programs for our clients that work on factory floors as well as in hybrid setups with employees and leaders scattered around the world.

There is incredibly valuable research on what we need to feel good and perform at work. At Doings, we understand leadership in complex environments. And we love tricky challenges – put us to the test!