When asked which leaders are most effective in driving positive change, young people rated community leaders highest (60%), while heads of state or government ranked significantly lower. This reflects a generational shift in how legitimacy is earned: leadership is trusted when it is proximate and accountable, and delivers tangible improvements to daily life. Young people’s trust grows when leaders act collaboratively and remain visibly connected to their communities – a dynamic that is reshaping expectations of political behaviour globally.Trust is highest at the community level Perceived effectiveness of leaders in driving positive change FIGURE 5 How effective are leaders in your country in driving positive change?* Community leaders Business leaders Heads of state or government Media leaders Very effective Somewhat effective Neutral Somewhat ineffective Very ineffective5%11%24%45%15% 11%19%26%35%9% 23%23%21%24%10% 14%26%27%27%7%100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Across regions, transparency and accountability, innovative vision and long-term thinking remain the most valued leadership traits. Gendered insights reveal further nuance: young men are more likely to prioritize the courage to make difficult decisions, while young women emphasize collaboration and inclusivity. These findings potentially echo broader research which suggests that men and women often approach leadership through complementary lenses rather than opposing ideologies. Women tend to adopt more democratic and participative leadership styles, whereas men are slightly more likely to employ directive or task-oriented approaches.14 This distinction echoes the patterns observed in the survey data: young men prioritize decisiveness, while young women emphasize collaboration and inclusivity. Yet despite these differences, both groups converge on a shared aspiration — the need for accountable, transparent and visionary leadership that safeguards democratic integrity.Integrity and collaboration define trusted leadershipNote: * Respondents were asked to select up to three trends Youth Pulse 2026: Insights from the next generation for a changing world 16