Leadership in the UK’s new political era

A change of leadership is all but confirmed for the coming days/weeks as the historic 2024 UK general election comes to its dramatic conclusion.

The question is, even if as expected the country’s new prime minister gets a huge share of the vote, will the new incumbent be a popular and successful leader?

The polls may have suggested a foregone conclusion as soon as the election date was announced but for many, the jury remains out on what style of leadership we can expect and if it will answer the significant problems facing the country.

The picture is no different in businesses and organisations across the UK where change may be needed (or even demanded). Big question marks remain over leadership: How can we make it as effective as it needs to be? How can we push leadership beyond just getting the job done, but getting it done well?

Read Further: How can Keir Starmer ensure a smooth transition into leadership?

Leadership in crisis

A defining feature of the election has been a lack of trust in those vying for the keys to Number 10 and a distinct absence of faith the electorate will actually be listened to.

Again, that is reflected more widely across the country in the relationship between employee and employer with a substantial drop in the number of people who are confident they will be heard and feel positively engaged with their workplace. In fact, less than 60 per cent of UK employees have confidence in their leaders, as our extensive cross-sector employee engagement data demonstrates.

Additionally, there are drops in scores around employees feeling aligned and informed about their company’s objectives which fell from 69% in 2021 to just 58% in 2023, as well as falls in openness and cross-department communication – a 6% and a 4% decline respectively.

This is a wake-up call that employers cannot ignore because, if nothing else, the recent seismic shift in the political landscape has shown that leaders need to engage, listen and take action with provable results.

As we know, even a substantial and favourable majority can be quickly squandered. Ultimately, employees want their work to be meaningful and to feel that what they do makes a tangible difference. Hopefully, our newly-elected MPs across the political spectrum will feel the same.

Period of instability or renewed energy

While the desire for change has been overwhelming for some time, it will come with an amount of uncertainty, especially as a new government sets about getting on with the job. This inevitably will have an impact on the country’s workforce and it is for future leaders across the UK to steady their own ships if they want that impact to be a positive one.

This is the time to ensure you continually measure your employee engagement, take the pulse and maximise the potential benefits of a new era and all the optimism it can bring with it – pulse surveys are a great way to do this.

Senior advisors will no doubt be telling the new Prime Minister to stay ahead of the game before any doubts or discontent creep in and risk those you need to on board the most to disengage more rapidly than ever before. How will that be achieved? Do they introduce radical measures to answer the clamour for change or take time to ensure any action taken is achievable and widely supported?

This is true for employers too who must ask similar of themselves to win back any trust lost. If economic growth is to be achieved, it will need a workforce to get behind the plan and consistent research has proved that higher productivity is much more likely with an engaged workforce and connected leaders.

Read further: What does the Labour manifesto mean for employment?

Polls, manifestos and what next?

Judging the mood of the public correctly is a Midas touch for a politician and polls are a key weapon in honing that skill. A vital tool, all the more potent if they ask the right questions and in a format that produces the most informative intel. Manifestos have to look appealing and look to answer the issues that will be vote-winners.

At People Insight, we know how to harness the power of using informed data to reach the people that matter most to your long-term success. Our employee surveys produce extremely valuable insights, and those who benefit the most from this are those who understand the key to success lies in correctly identifying what actions need to be taken next. It could be an overhaul of leadership practices or support to manage pivotal change in your organisation.

Our expert team of consultants can help to maximise that data with workshop sessions, 1-to-1 coaching and expert support to help your leaders be the best they can be. They may not be waking up this morning leading the country but this is a golden, potentially once-in-a generation, opportunity to make the most of seismic change. Don’t get left behind.