A new nationwide study of 2,000 UK employees suggests a growing mismatch between leadership styles and employee expectations, with significant differences emerging across sectors.
The research, conducted by experiential leadership and people development specialists Call of the Wild in partnership with OnePoll, highlights that while fairness, communication and work-life balance are universal priorities, what employees expect from leadership varies widely depending on their working environment.
Across all sectors, fairness and consistency remain the foundation of effective leadership. However, the data shows clear regional and sector-based contrasts.
In fast-paced industries such as Technology & IT Services, employees are driven by autonomy, development opportunities and clear direction. Meanwhile, public sector and education workers place far greater emphasis on empathy, emotional support and consistent communication, reflecting the pressures of people-facing roles and resource constraints.
Work-life balance emerged as the top motivator across all sectors, but beyond that, priorities diverge sharply. Career progression motivates over a third of tech workers, compared to just 10% in the public sector, underlining structural differences in opportunity and growth.
Hybrid working is now firmly embedded, but expectations vary. Some employees favour home-heavy models, others prefer office-based collaboration, reinforcing that flexibility without clarity can create confusion rather than engagement.
Despite the rise of digital tools, face-to-face communication remains the most valued way for leaders to connect, while social connection continues to play a critical role in engagement, particularly in the tech sector.
The research also reveals a striking divide in confidence in leadership's ability to bridge generational differences, with significantly lower confidence levels in public sector and education organisations.
Lynda Campbell, Transformational Leader and Culture Specialist at Call of the Wild, said:
“Organisations often assume that good leadership is universal—but this research shows that's simply not the case. While fairness is a constant, what people need from their leaders is shaped by the pressures and realities of their sector.
“Leaders who fail to adapt risk disengaging their teams, particularly at a time when retention, wellbeing and performance are under increasing strain. The organisations that will succeed are those that take a more flexible, human-centred approach to leadership.”
Catrefi Cymru Cooperative has been embedding a more mature hybrid working culture by shifting managers away from time-based supervision towards trust and output-led performance management.
Working with Call of the Wild, the organisation developed a hybrid working framework designed to support flexible leadership behaviours and improve manager confidence in leading dispersed teams.
Nia Coates, Assistant Director of People at Catrefi Cymru Cooperative, said:
“Bringing in the hybrid working framework was quite different for some managers and colleagues because of the way they'd worked for so long.
“It's been a real journey around helping people move towards a culture based on trust, flexibility and outputs rather than simply being seen at a desk from nine to five.”
The organisation says the transition required significant leadership support and manager upskilling, particularly around performance conversations and employee wellbeing.
Nia added:
“We've had to help managers build confidence in leading differently, having conversations about outcomes rather than monitoring time.
“For our colleagues, having that flexibility removes a huge amount of pressure. Whether it's school runs, caring responsibilities or health needs, people can work in a way that helps them balance life and work without feeling stressed about clock-watching or making up hours.”
