The U.S. is in a Leadership Crisis, New Survey Reveals
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.
U.S. News & World Report, in collaborazione con The Harris Poll, ha pubblicato un sondaggio approfondito che mette in luce una diffusa crisi di leadership nelle istituzioni americane. Il sondaggio su 1.500 adulti rileva una netta sfiducia nei confronti dei dirigenti nei settori del servizio pubblico, dell'impresa, dell'istruzione e della sanità.
Tra i risultati principali: il 77% degli intervistati non individua leader pubblici ammirevoli, il 82% ritiene che i dirigenti aziendali siano distanti dai valori della collettività e il 85% percepisce i funzionari governativi come orientati al proprio interesse. Il sondaggio alimenterà il prossimo programma di U.S. News, Best Leaders in America, che premierà 25 persone eccezionali che stanno dando contributi significativi in vari ambiti.
U.S. News & World Report, en colaboración con The Harris Poll, ha publicado una encuesta exhaustiva que revela una amplia crisis de liderazgo en las instituciones estadounidenses. La encuesta a 1.500 adultos muestra una marcada desconfianza hacia los líderes de los servicios públicos, las empresas, la educación y la sanidad.
Entre los hallazgos clave: el 77% de los encuestados no ve líderes públicos admirables, el 82% cree que los líderes empresariales están desconectados de los valores públicos y el 85% percibe que los funcionarios gubernamentales priorizan su interés personal. La encuesta servirá de base para el próximo programa de U.S. News, Best Leaders in America, que reconocerá a 25 personas destacadas que realizan contribuciones significativas en distintos sectores.
U.S. News & World Report가 The Harris Poll와 협력해 미국 기관 전반에 걸친 광범위한 리더십 위기를 드러내는 종합 설문조사를 발표했습니다. 1,500명의 성인을 대상으로 한 이번 조사에서는 공공 서비스, 기업, 교육, 의료 분야의 지도자들에 대한 불신이 뚜렷하게 나타났습니다.
주요 결과로는 응답자의 77%가 존경할 만한 공직자를 찾지 못한다고 답했고, 82%는 기업 지도자들이 공공의 가치와 동떨어져 있다고 보며, 85%는 정부 관계자들이 개인 이익을 우선한다고 인식했습니다. 이 조사 결과는 U.S. News의 차기 프로그램인 Best Leaders in America에 반영되어 다양한 분야에서 의미 있는 기여를 하는 25명을 선정하는 데 활용될 예정입니다.
U.S. News & World Report, en collaboration avec The Harris Poll, a publié une enquête approfondie révélant une crise généralisée du leadership au sein des institutions américaines. Le sondage auprès de 1 500 adultes montre une forte méfiance envers les dirigeants des secteurs public, privé, éducatif et de la santé.
Parmi les principaux résultats : 77% des personnes interrogées ne voient aucun dirigeant public admirable, 82% estiment que les dirigeants d'entreprise sont déconnectés des valeurs publiques et 85% perçoivent les responsables gouvernementaux comme privilégiant leur intérêt personnel. Cette enquête alimentera le prochain programme de U.S. News, Best Leaders in America, qui distinguera 25 personnes exceptionnelles apportant des contributions significatives dans divers secteurs.
U.S. News & World Report hat in Zusammenarbeit mit The Harris Poll eine umfangreiche Umfrage veröffentlicht, die eine weitreichende Führungskrise in amerikanischen Institutionen aufzeigt. Die Befragung von 1.500 Erwachsenen dokumentiert erhebliches Misstrauen gegenüber Führungskräften im öffentlichen Dienst, in der Wirtschaft, im Bildungsbereich und im Gesundheitswesen.
Wesentliche Ergebnisse: 77% der Befragten sehen keine bewundernswerten öffentlichen Führungspersönlichkeiten, 82% halten Wirtschaftsführer für von den gesellschaftlichen Werten entfremdet und 85% nehmen wahr, dass Regierungsvertreter ihr Eigeninteresse priorisieren. Die Umfrage wird in das kommende Programm von U.S. News, Best Leaders in America, einfließen, das 25 herausragende Persönlichkeiten auszeichnet, die in verschiedenen Bereichen bedeutende Beiträge leisten.
- 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
- 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%)
Results from a
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 theU.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 theU.S. public.
- Reflecting this skepticism, around half do not trust the Trump Administration (
- 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 theU.S. is facing a leadership crisis in public service, the highest among the four categories (79% in education,79% in healthcare,72% in business).
- Similarly,
- 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, only31% 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,
"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
The poll was conducted by The Harris Poll online from April 14 - 17, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 1,500
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,
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,
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
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