“Don’t take me to your leader”

Only 40% of employees in construction say their bosses are inspiring, according to research by the Chartered Management Institute and the DTI. It seems, though, that the feeling could be mutual, as 90% of employees feel their bosses don’t trust them. Also, 86% of employees want commitment from their managers in helping people develop but only 59% get it. It all amounts to an “inspiration gap”, says Petra Cook, the CMI’s head of policy.

“Inspirational leaders shouldn’t be the exception. We’re talking about simple behaviours. People want to be talked to, trusted and thanked,” she said, adding that open and accessible firms perform considerably better than bureaucratic and reactive ones.