The very definition of leadership has evolved over the last few years. In the past, leaders “climbed their way to the top” and “got people to follow them”. Today, successful leaders don’t tell their teams what to do— they connect with their teams, empower their people, and inspire greatness.

The latest research from the O.C. Tanner Institute found there are 6 essential elements of a great workplace culture: purpose, opportunity, success, appreciation, wellbeing, and leadership. We call them Talent Magnets because they are what make a great organization irresistible to the most passionate and engaged employees. The study found that “leadership” was the most challenging magnet to get right. When employees thought about leadership, they envisioned mentorship, trust, shared responsibility, camaraderie, and advocacy. But when asked how they felt about their own leaders, more than 1 in 4 employees did not trust their direct manager and 35% of employees did not trust senior leaders at their organization.