The Hattaway team draws on insights from social science to understand what motivates people and how to communicate with them to instill trust and inspire action.
Motivational psychology says our decisions and behavior are often driven by our aspirations—our ideas about what kind of people we want to be, what kind of lives we want to live, and what kind of country we want to live in.
I brought this lens to my role as an advisor on a national survey of young adults by the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics at American University, called Reimagining Political Leadership: The Outlook of Young Americans.
Unlike typical election-year poll, this research examined the aspirations of young adults—what they hope to see in the nation’s leaders. And we looked at the qualities young people are looking for in political leaders and electoral candidates, not just their positions on issues.
This approach was inspired by decades of political science research showing that people determine whether to trust presidents and other leaders by sizing up what kind of people they are, not by examining their résumés and policy positions.
This body of research shows that people look for a combination of trust-building traits: empathy, integrity, competence, and leadership. Our survey drew on these insights, as well as ideas from American University students, to test a set of eight leadership qualities: Authenticity, Compassion, Competence, Compromise, Decisiveness, Idealism, Inclusiveness, and Integrity.
Respondents listened to an AI-generated, gender-neutral voice read statements about each trait from the point of view of a candidate for public office. They ranked which characteristics were most important to them, and these four stood out above the rest:
Integrity
“I’m running because we need honest leaders with integrity who will serve others, not themselves. I’ll always do what’s right for the people I’m elected to represent, whether you voted for me or not.”
Authenticity
“I’m running because we need leaders who are willing to tell hard truths and be real with people. I won’t just say what you want to hear. I’ll give you my honest opinion, even if it’s unpopular,and if I make a mistake, I’ll own up to it.”
Inclusivity
“I’m running to make sure our government serves everyone equally. Every voice matters. America works best when it works for all, with no one left out or left behind.”
Compassion
“I’m running because I care about people. Good leaders are compassionate, active listeners. I want to make people’s lives better by truly understanding your concerns and focusing on what we have in common as human beings.”
Leaders of all kinds can win people’s trust by exhibiting traits like these and the others described in this research.
Beyond these traits, the survey explored issues important to young adults, assessed their perspectives on the 2024 presidential candidates, offered a toolkit for leaders and organizations to engage young adults, and more.
What are young people looking for?
