Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

Honesty, hard work and kindness are top positive traits a citizen should have, according to Russians. To be a public leader, it is also important to get a good education and to have an ability to listen to others.

MOSCOW, February 21, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a study devoted to the essential traits people and public leaders should possess.

Russians consider that honesty (73%), hard work (51%) and kindness (47%) are the most important qualities in people.  Education is prized by 39% of respondents; 30% pay attention to goodwill. Personal involvement and a sense of humor are important for 28%. Every fourth (23%) appreciates self-confidence; 22% value initiative. Twenty percent of respondents think straightforwardness is an important human trait. 

In recent years, the Russians have dramatically changed their opinions regarding the qualities of the leader who deal with socially useful activities. Whereas in 2015 respondents pointed to proactive attitude as the main leader’s quality (44% in 2015 vs 12% in 2019), today most of respondents value honesty (53% in 2019 vs 24% in 2015). This very quality is also regarded to be important for people in general (73%).

The second place in the list of traits of the public leader is held by the ability to listen to others (36%; vs 16% in 2015). This trait is mentioned by 40% of persons aged 60 and over. Every third (32%) considers that public leaders should have a good education. The share of those who think that public leaders should be hard-working has considerably risen (an increase from 13% to 27%). Remarkably, hard work is one of the key human qualities (51%). Twenty-six percent of respondents opt for responsibility as the main quality of the public leader; however this trait is far from being the most important human trait, according to Russians (1%).

A quarter of respondents (25%) value justice in public leaders (an increase from 16% in 2015), but this quality is almost never mentioned among general human qualities (1%). A further 24% appreciate kindness in leaders (an increase from 11% in 2015). Kindness is ranked third in the people’s rating of human traits (47%). The percentage of those who consider personal involvement as the main trait of the public leader has declined: today 23% of Russians mention this quality compared to 33% in 2015.  Organizational skills are also appreciated less than before (a decrease from 29% in 2015 to 23% in 2019). On the contrary, leader’s desire to change the world for the better has become one of the mot important traits (an increase from 17% to 23%).

VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on February 19, 2019. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

 

Now I will read you a list of qualities; please tell me what qualities do you appreciate most in people?

(closed-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Honesty

73

Hard work

51

Kindness

47

Knowledge

39

Goodwill

30

Personal involvement

28

Sense of humor

28

Self-confidence

23

Initiative

22

Straightforwardness

20

Charisma

15

Purposefulness

2

Responsibility

1

Professionalism

1

Justice

1

Humanity

1

Intellects

0

Openness

0

Attentiveness

0

Adherence to principles

0

All above-mentioned

1

Other

3

Don’t know

1

What qualities are important for a public leader, a leader in an organization involved in socially useful activity?

(closed-ended question, up to 6 answers, % of total respondents)

 

2015

2019

Honesty

24

53

Ability to listen to others

16

36

Good education

27

32

Hard work

13

27

Responsibility

35

26

Justice

16

25

Kindness

11

24

Personal involvement

33

23

Organizational skills

29

23

Desire to change the world for the better

17

23

Communication skills

32

21

Unselfishness

11

18

Openness

28

13

Proactiveness

44

12

Charisma

16

12

Confidence

24

12

Persistence

12

11

Mercifulness

24

10

Trust in others

9

10

Effectiveness

5

10

Goodwill

-

1

Initiative

-

1

Purposefulness

-

1

All above-mentioned

-

1

Other

2

3

Don’t know

2

3

What qualities are important for a public leader, a leader in an organization involved in socially useful activity?

 (closed-ended question, up to 6 answers, % of total respondents)

 

Total respondents

Aged 18-24

25-34

35-44

45-59

60 and over

Honesty

53

45

51

56

52

54

Ability to listen to others

36

35

36

34

34

40

Good education

32

36

23

31

31

39

Hard work

27

21

25

28

27

29

Responsibility

26

22

28

30

25

22

Justice

25

26

26

25

25

24

Kindness

24

21

22

21

19

35

Personal involvement

23

26

18

23

25

26

Organizational skills

23

21

24

24

24

21

Desire to change the world for the better

23

24

24

23

24

23

Communication skills

21

26

22

19

20

20

Unselfishness

18

20

21

17

18

17

Openness

13

13

17

13

12

12

Proactiveness

12

13

14

12

10

12

Charisma

12

15

8

13

12

13

Confidence

12

16

14

9

14

9

Persistence

11

15

9

12

10

13

Mercifulness

10

5

7

9

13

13

Trust in others

10

9

10

8

11

10

Effectiveness

10

13

15

11

8

7

Goodwill

1

2

1

1

2

1

Initiative

1

0

1

1

1

1

Purposefulness

1

0

0

1

1

0

All above-mentioned

1

2

0

1

2

1

Other

3

1

2

3

4

4

Don’t know

3

5

2

2

3

2

 

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!

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