Only 46% of employees trust their leaders. A BCG partner says the fix is simpler than CEOs think
Nearly 90% of CEOs say they are confident or very confident that their employees trust their leadership. But only 46% of employees agree, according to The BCG CEO Insomnia Index published by my colleagues this month. To understand why nearly half of employees don’t trust the top boss, we must look at how leaders show up, and the downstream effects on employees’ joy and productivity.
TL;DR
- A large majority of CEOs (nearly 90%) believe their employees trust them, but only 46% of employees actually agree.
- Employees decide daily how much effort to exert, viewing work as a 'product' they choose to consume based on their experience.
- Emotional factors like feeling valued, respected, and connected are key drivers of employee satisfaction and performance, more so than pay or benefits.
- Leaders can bridge the trust gap through low-cost, consistent behavioral changes focused on emotional needs.
- Examples like Dropbox and a BCG client demonstrate how redesigning work and focusing on employee experience leads to significant improvements in success rates, retention, and performance.
- Five key practices for leaders include celebrating people, going to see and help, being interested in employees, cocreating changes, and modeling desired behaviors.