Health professionals are regarded as the sector demonstrating the best leadership in Ireland, according to the 2021 LIFT Index.
LIFT Ireland – an initiative to raise the level of leadership nationwide – polled 1,000 members of the public on their attitudes to leadership standards, and asked them to rank the sectors and professions they believed demonstrated good leadership over the past year.
44% of respondents chose health professionals as the group showing the greatest levels of positive leadership, followed by community organisations and charities, which were selected by 19%.
Faith-based groups received the lowest rating, with only 4% of respondents stating they demonstrated good leadership. Politicians and sectoral representative bodies also fared badly, with only 5% of respondents selecting each of these groups as demonstrating good leadership.
The business sector was selected by 9% of respondents as demonstrating good leadership.
Sports organisations were selected by 8% of respondents. Media were selected by 6%.
Now in its third year, LIFT Ireland's partners include organisations such as ESB, Munster Rugby, NUI Galway, Bank of Ireland, RSA Insurance, Cancer Trials Ireland, and over 100 secondary schools nationwide.
Joanne Hession, founder and CEO of LIFT Ireland, said: "It is a sign of the times to see health professionals ranked as the sector with the strongest levels of leadership in Ireland. It is testament to the integrity, competence and respect for people in this sector that they have been recognised by people across Ireland for their leadership attributes. Similarly, the community and charity sector has been recognised for its work advocating for and serving people across the country during a crisis year. There is a lot for all of us to learn from each of these groups.
"The aim of the LIFT Index is to tell us what leadership behaviours are deemed most important by people in Ireland – so that we can then adapt and develop the LIFT initiative accordingly," she said.
"The first Index was published in 2018, and its findings helped us shape the programmes and partnerships we rolled out over the past two years. Likewise, the findings of this new Index will help us guide the organisations we work with, to develop the leadership behaviours that are valued by people in Ireland."
