A leader is a dealer in hope

In the business world, this thought by Napoleon Bonaparte takes on a special meaning. After all, true leaders today are not judged solely by goals, processes, or numbers. What matters most is whether they can give people something far more valuable – a sense of safety, meaning, and the belief that tomorrow can be better than today.

Gallup research shows that employees around the world, including in Poland, expect four things from their leaders: stability, trust, compassion, and hope. It sounds simple, yet these are exactly the areas where gaps are most common.

It is clear that leaders who create a stable and predictable work environment are able to build loyalty and engagement in their teams. Those who build trust achieve collaboration across boundaries more quickly. Those who can show empathy gain people’s genuine commitment, not just task execution. And leaders who can provide hope create a space where people want to act and look for solutions, even in times of crisis.

This is not the “soft” side of leadership. It is the foundation of hard business. Without people who feel meaning and hope, no strategy stands a chance of being implemented.

That is why, in practice, leadership becomes less about task management and more about creating conditions in which people want to co-create the company’s future. In this very sense, a leader truly is a “dealer in hope.”

The full report is available on Gallup.com. It is worth exploring and reflecting on how these insights can be translated into your own organization.