10/05/2026
Between trust, stability, compassion, and hope—what would your people pick? You might assume stability or maybe trust.
Gallup asked that exact question of employees in 52 countries. The surprise: hope beat trust, stability, and compassion combined.
When Joe Daly (Global Managing Partner, Gallup) shared that stat with a room of CEOs at the 18th CEO Summit, you could see the surprise on many faces.
Leaders pour energy into building trust, creating predictability, and leading with empathy. Yet hope feels less tangible.
Gallup’s open responses clarified what employees mean by hope. They weren’t talking about vague optimism. Their definition was crisp:
“Hope means I can see a future, and my place in it.”
So what should conscious leaders do? How do you actually lead with hope in practical terms?
1. Swap out “disruption” messaging: When you announce new AI tools or strategic pivots, explicitly answer: “How will this make my job better, and where do I fit in the future?” People need a clear line from the change to their own role.
2. Signal stability where it matters: When rolling out big shifts, publish 3–5 enduring anchors that aren’t changing (for example, core values, team agreements, cultural non-negotiables). That communicates security while you evolve.
3. Make hope a planning practice: Move from top-down orders to co-creating solutions with frontline teams. When employees have real agency over day-to-day experiments and decisions, helplessness gives way to purpose-driven action.
Lead so people can envision the road ahead — and see themselves on it.
