The U.S. is in a Leadership Crisis, New Survey Reveals

Rhea-AI Summary

U.S. News & World Report, in collaboration with The Harris Poll, has released a comprehensive survey revealing a widespread leadership crisis across American institutions. The poll of 1,500 adults shows significant distrust in leaders across public service, business, education, and healthcare sectors.

Key findings include 77% of respondents not seeing any admirable public leaders, 82% believing business leaders are out of touch with public values, and 85% perceiving government officials as prioritizing self-interest. The survey will inform U.S. News' upcoming Best Leaders in America program, which will recognize 25 exceptional individuals making meaningful contributions across various sectors.

Positive

• Survey will inform selection criteria for U.S. News' Best Leaders in America recognition program
• Clear methodology with nationally representative sample of 1,500 adults
• 66% of public maintains trust in Supreme Court

Negative

• 77% don't see any admirable public leaders
• 82% believe business leaders are out of touch with public values
• 85% believe government officials prioritize self-interest over public good
• 87% say U.S. faces leadership crisis in public service
• Widespread dissatisfaction across all sectors (public service 80%, healthcare 73%, business 72%, education 68%)

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Results from a U.S. News poll show Americans are largely disappointed in leaders across public service, business, education and health care. 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are losing trust in institutions and expressing deep dissatisfaction with the state of U.S. leadership across nearly every facet of society, according to a new poll published by U.S. News & World Report and conducted in April of 2025 by The Harris Poll.

The survey explored Americans' views of leadership in public service, business, education and health care, and what qualities they believe define truly effective leaders.

Among the key findings of the survey of 1,500 adults ages 18+:

• Many Americans don't see leaders they aspire to emulate: 77% of survey respondents don't see any public leaders they admire or would want to be like, along with most who say the same about leaders in education (74%), health care (69%) and business (61%).
  
  
• Business leaders are seen as out of touch with the public's values: 82% of adults believe the values held by business leaders don't align with those of everyday Americans. Additionally, 72% of adults agree that the U.S. is experiencing a business leadership crisis.
  
  
• Self-interest and distrust characterize public perceptions of leadership: 85% of Americans believe government officials and community leaders prioritize their own power and influence over the public's interests.
  
  
  • Reflecting this skepticism, around half do not trust the Trump Administration (53%), congressional Republicans (53%) or congressional Democrats (48%) to act in the best interest of the U.S. public.
    
    
• Disappointment in leadership extends across all sectors: Public service drew the most disappointment, cited by 80% of Americans, followed by health care (73%), business (72%) and education (68%).
  • Similarly, 87% of respondents said the U.S. is facing a leadership crisis in public service, the highest among the four categories (79% in education, 79% in healthcare, 72% in business).
    
    
• Americans want their leaders to be trustworthy, honest and ethical: These traits were consistently identified as most important across public service, business, education and health care sectors.
  
  
• Americans see a disconnect between those in power and those who are trusted: While 56% associate leadership with political figures, only 31% consider them trustworthy.
  • 66% of the public trust the Supreme Court to act in the best interest of the American public.

"With Congress on leave for summer recess, this is a timely moment to take a critical look at how Americans view leadership in this country," said Dafna Linzer, U.S. News' editorial director and executive vice president.

"Americans are not only dissatisfied with political leaders - they're disillusioned with leadership across the board. At a time when trust is critical to the functioning of our democracy and institutions, the public is demanding more character, courage and clarity from those in power. Insights offered in this poll provide a data-driven foundation for understanding what Americans value in a leader and recognizing those who meet that standard," Linzer added.

Leadership traits identified as most important by poll respondents, such as trustworthiness and honesty, will be used to inform U.S. News' upcoming Best Leaders in America recognition program. The 2025 honors will spotlight 25 exceptional individuals across public service, business, health care and education who are making a meaningful difference in their communities and across the nation.

The poll was conducted by The Harris Poll online from April 14 - 17, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 1,500 U.S. adults ages 18+, yielding a margin error of +/- 3.6 percentage points.

A panel of experts in public service, business, health care and education are evaluating submissions for the upcoming 2025 U.S. News Best Leaders. Honorees will be selected based on how closely they reflect the leadership traits most valued by Americans, as revealed in the survey.

For additional insights and analysis, U.S. News has published related content, including a full overview of the survey results.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global public opinion, analytics, and market research consultancy that strives to reveal society's authentic values to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. With a global research reach of more than ninety countries, Harris offers advisory services across sectors to world leaders, CEOs, and business decision-makers with state-of-the-art analytics, real-time software services, and practitioners in marketing, reputation, customer experience, trends, futures, and thought leadership/research-for-public release, The Harris Poll translates shifting social sentiment into a competitive marketplace advantage. Harris is a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) company. www.theharrispoll.com.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

FAQ

What are the key findings of the 2025 U.S. News leadership crisis survey?

The survey found that 77% of Americans don't see admirable public leaders, 82% believe business leaders are out of touch with public values, and 85% think government officials prioritize self-interest over public good.

How many Americans believe the U.S. is experiencing a leadership crisis in 2025?

According to the survey, 87% believe there's a crisis in public service leadership, 79% in education and healthcare, and 72% in business leadership.

What leadership qualities do Americans value most according to the 2025 survey?

Americans consistently identified trustworthiness, honesty, and ethical behavior as the most important leadership traits across all sectors.

What is the methodology behind the 2025 U.S. News leadership survey?

The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll from April 14-17, 2025, among 1,500 U.S. adults with a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percentage points.

How will U.S. News use the 2025 leadership survey results?

The results will inform U.S. News' Best Leaders in America program, which will recognize 25 exceptional individuals across public service, business, healthcare, and education sectors.