Gallup

"...but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning." Thats how the CliftonStrengths theme of Learner is defined. But where are a Learners limits? Are there things they refuse to learn? Or things they wish they could unlearn? I recently sat down with John Hope Bryant, founder of Operation HOPE and one of Forbes 250 Greatest Self-Made Americans, to understand where his Learner has limits. "Is there anything you have learned that you would pay to unlearn?" He thought about it. "Most fears are worthless. I learned fear. Its a learned skill." "Is there anything you have refused to learn?" "Yes. Hate." He told me hate is the first cousin of evil, and that it dies with you. A Learner's talent is the journey from ignorance to competence. John's wisdom is knowing the one journey never to take. Listen to my full conversation with John here: https://lnkd.in/eafVanrg

Americans are becoming more familiar with AI, but greater familiarity has not translated into greater trust. Seven in 10 Americans now say they are at least somewhat knowledgeable about AI, up from 64% in 2024. Yet just 27% trust businesses some or a lot to use AI responsibly, down from 31% last year. Skepticism about the technology itself is also growing. Thirty-nine percent now believe AI does more harm than good, up eight percentage points in one year. And nearly eight in 10 expect AI to reduce the number of U.S. jobs over the next decade. As businesses continue to invest in AI, they are doing so at a time when Americans understand more about the technology but are increasingly concerned about its impact. Explore the 2026 Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society Report to understand how Americans view business today, what they expect from companies and how attitudes are shifting on AI and rising prices. https://lnkd.in/grBG9nKx

How can young people build resilience for the challenges ahead? Service may be one part of the answer. Learning to navigate challenges and setbacks is an important part of serving your community, and those skills may transfer to other parts of life, too. Research from Gallup and The Allstate Foundation finds that 66% of young people with service experience agree they can handle whatever comes their way, compared with 52% of those without. Youth with service experience also report greater confidence in persevering when problems arise. Sixty percent of those with service experience say they are confident in their ability to find solutions to problems without giving up, compared with 43% of those who haven't served. That confidence is even higher among those who spend more time serving: 57% of those who served 1-9 hours in the past year are confident in their ability to find solutions without giving up, compared with 71% of those who served 40 or more hours. For caregivers and educators looking to help young people develop resilience, the findings point to the value of meaningful opportunities to contribute and lead. Explore the research and recommendations for creating service experiences that help young people build resilience: https://lnkd.in/eifmRtXx

Employees who use AI most may need greater clarity about what adoption means for them. Gallup research finds that frequent AI users are also the employees with the greatest concern about job displacement. Employees who already use AI regularly may need less guidance on whether to use the technology and more clarity about how it is changing their work, which skills remain central and how their performance will be evaluated. That makes AI adoption a communication challenge as much as a technical one. Managers are well-positioned to help employees understand why AI is being adopted, explain what it means for their team and create opportunities for employees to raise concerns directly. AI adoption and employees’ confidence about what AI means for their future at work are not the same. As organizations increase adoption, managers have an important role in helping employees navigate that uncertainty. Explore what Gallup’s research reveals about the role managers can play in helping employees navigate AI adoption and address uncertainty about the future of their work: https://lnkd.in/ekkYhhDF

How are workers’ concerns about technology changing? And how do Americans feel about AI data centers being built in their area? Explore these trends in this week’s Front Page.

Sometimes, one person can change what someone else believes is possible.  When Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Bryant was 9 years old, a banker visited his classroom and introduced him to entrepreneurship. Bryant credits that encounter with changing the direction of his life.  Decades later, that experience continues to shape how he thinks about developing others. “We’re modeling what we see,” Bryant says. Sometimes seeing a different possibility and having someone encourage you toward it can change your path forward.  Gallup research underscores the importance of development in the workplace: Encouraging someone’s growth can have a meaningful effect on how they connect to their work. Among employees who report having someone at work who encourages their development, less than 1% are actively disengaged.  In the latest episode of Leading With Strengths, Bryant joins Gallup CEO Jon Clifton to discuss the experiences that shaped him and how his CliftonStrengths influence how he develops potential in others.  Watch the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/gPUQPMeU

Using AI at work more often does not necessarily mean employees are more confident about their future at work. Gallup research finds that workers who use AI frequently are more than twice as likely to fear their jobs will be eliminated within five years as those who use AI only a few times a month or year. The finding challenges a commonly held assumption about AI adoption: that greater familiarity with the technology will ease concerns about displacement. Frequent users are seeing firsthand what AI can do. Without clarity about what those capabilities mean for their roles, more exposure to AI can increase uncertainty. Employees who feel supported at work, specifically those who say they feel respected and believe their organization cares about their wellbeing, are less likely to fear displacement. Strong management makes the greatest difference among frequent AI users, the group most concerned about displacement. Explore Gallup’s latest research about why using AI more often does not necessarily mean greater confidence about the future of work: https://lnkd.in/gDYpY_-7

AI is not yet everywhere, but opinions about it are widespread. New research finds that across the 37 countries surveyed, the median percentage of adults who have never used AI is 57%. Yet among those who are aware of it, positive emotions outweigh negative ones in 34 of 37 countries. In 25 of the 37 countries, majorities of AI-aware adults expect AI to improve their daily lives. When it comes to concerns about the technology, however, wealthy Western countries stand apart, combining relatively high AI use with some of the highest levels of worry. The study, which will ultimately cover 140 countries, measures public engagement with AI across five dimensions. In addition to emotional response, the survey captures awareness, frequency of use, expected impact and trust. For leaders navigating AI adoption, the findings point to an important consideration: Adoption is only part of the picture. How people experience AI, whether they trust it and how they expect it to shape their lives matter too. Explore the first findings from Gallup and Microsoft's ongoing research on AI engagement worldwide: https://lnkd.in/ebKQBB-u

Gallup research across more than 3.3 million workers and 100,000+ teams shows that highly engaged teams consistently outperform less engaged teams across critical business outcomes. What drives those outcomes can differ by organization. Turnover may require a closer look at development or leadership. Burnout may call for a deeper understanding of wellbeing. Transformation may put trust, communication or agility in focus. Understanding the employee experience requires both rigor and flexibility: a proven foundation for measuring engagement and the ability to go deeper where an organization needs it most. The value is not in asking everything. It is in knowing what to ask next. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eYRfj6Qa

Defining a culture is one thing, creating a workforce that feels connected to it is another. Culture has the greatest influence when employees understand what the organization stands for and see how it shapes their work. When that connection is strong, culture provides more than a shared identity. It gives leaders, managers and employees a common direction for making decisions, prioritizing their time and working toward organizational goals. That connection can have measurable effects across the entire employee experience. Employees who strongly agree they feel connected to their organization’s culture are 4.3 times as likely to be engaged and 62% less likely to feel burned out at work. Explore Gallup’s research on building a strong organizational culture: https://lnkd.in/eJyHwjgT