Gallup

Great teams don’t happen by chance. They happen by design. Many organizations invest heavily in hiring great people and defining a compelling mission, yet performance often stalls at the team level. The difference between talent and results is usually the quality of the team experience. The team is where people activate their strengths with others. It is where culture becomes real, where inclusion and belonging are felt, and where feedback and recognition shape daily performance. Gallup has studied this dynamic for more than three decades, surveying over 183,000 teams about their work experiences and linking those insights to performance outcomes. Discover how exceptional teams are built when leaders approach team performance scientifically. https://lnkd.in/gfcGZd5V

AI use in the public sector is rising quickly. In Q4 2025, 43% of public-sector employees report using AI , exceeding the 41% who report using AI in the private sector. In organizations where managers actively support AI use, 65% of public-sector employees are frequent users, defined as using it daily or a few times a week. Where manager support is low, that number drops to 37%. A 28-percentage-point difference — driven not by access or tools, but by leadership behavior. The same is true in the private sector; among employees who say their manager supports AI use, 80% use it frequently compared with 44% in organizations with low manager support. Strategy alone is not enough. When managers model AI use and connect it to day-to-day work, experimentation becomes habit. https://lnkd.in/daYMHErz

Few issues demand stronger leadership right now than how organizations address artificial intelligence. According to Gallup, frequent AI use among leaders has risen from 17% to 44% since the second quarter of 2023. In Gallup’s latest Leading With Strengths interview, Norton Healthcare President and CEO Russell Cox is clear: Leaders’ first responsibility is to remove fear and help people understand that AI is designed to support their work, not replace it. Watch the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/dTW7ak6R

For young people ages 12-25, service is a formative experience linked to career readiness, connection and resilience. The latest research from The Allstate Foundation and Gallup shows that youth who participate in service are more likely to report clearer career direction, a greater sense of connection to their communities and more confidence navigating challenges and persisting through setbacks. Swipe to see how service experiences are linked to the development of career-ready skills, connection and resilience, then explore the full insights. https://lnkd.in/gQ22FSTx

Women’s employee engagement has exceeded men’s for four consecutive years. In Q4 2025, 34% of full-time working women in the U.S. were engaged, compared with 28% of men. Gallup’s latest data show women continue to lead on this measure — but higher engagement does not eliminate strain. Nearly one in three women (31%) report feeling burned out “very often” or “always,” compared with 23% of men. At the same time, women report stronger career ambition: 20% say they are extremely motivated to pursue growth opportunities, versus 16% of men. For a deeper look at the data, including how these figures change when you look at men and women with children, explore Gallup’s latest research on women’s engagement, burnout and career ambition. https://lnkd.in/gUipaN2X

Uncertainty exposes how leaders think and act when the path forward isn’t clear. In Gallup’s latest Leading With Strengths interview, Norton Healthcare President and CEO Russell Cox joins Gallup CEO Jon Clifton to discuss how disruption can accelerate organizational change and why difficult conditions reveal how leaders actually lead. Watch the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gMvhcxXQ

Global employee engagement levels continue to reflect the pressure organizations are under, with roughly one in five employees engaged at work. Younger workers feel this decline most — signaling increased risk to performance, retention and future leadership pipelines. However, best-practice organizations are different. While many organizations struggle, engagement among these best-in-class organizations is 70% demonstrating what’s possible when leaders build strong leadership and management practices that embed engagement into how the organization operates. These organizations stand apart because of strong managers, disciplined leadership and cultures designed to help people do their best work every day. Gallup recognizes these leaders as 2026 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winners for engagement — setting the benchmark for what intentional leadership can achieve. Explore the organizations raising the standard. https://lnkd.in/gJSjdgqx

Workforce reductions and the resulting rising workloads are reshaping the customer experience. Nearly one in four U.S. employees (23%) say their organization is reducing its headcount — up 12 percentage points since early 2023. Among those reporting layoffs, 65% say individual contributors who work directly with customers were most affected. At the same time, internal demands are increasing. Sixty-three percent of employees say they have been asked to take on additional responsibilities in the past three months. As teams get smaller and workloads grow, pressure builds. Employees who frequently experience burnout are far less likely to believe their organization delivers on customer promises. Internal strain affects customer outcomes. See how layoffs, burnout and workforce capacity intersect to influence the customer experience and what leaders can do to protect it. https://lnkd.in/gJ9KUbMt

AI integration is increasing, but not uniformly across industries. In Q4, 38% of employees said their organization has integrated AI technology to improve productivity, efficiency or quality. At the same time, reported workplace AI use varies by industry and by role, with some sectors and leadership positions showing substantially higher levels of frequent use than others. The pattern suggests AI use is gaining traction, but not at the same pace everywhere. How AI tools become embedded in day-to-day work appears to depend on both the nature of the industry and where employees sit within the organization. Explore how AI use is unfolding across industries and roles: https://lnkd.in/dy2eb-YQ