'Lessons in Leadership', a survey commissioned by consultants Opp identifies a common failure by leaders to match employee expectations.

Main findings
- Only four in 10 respondents are satisfied with the quality of leadership in their organisations.

- Trust is key to good leadership,with 69 per cent of respondents believing this to be an absolutely essential quality. Yet only a fifth of respondents believe that trust is their boss ’s strongest quality.

- Other important qualities include being a good communicator,decisive and motivational.

- Only a third of respondents think the UK produces leaders who are good enough to compete with their international counterparts.

- Nearly four out of 10 believe the quality of leadership in the UK has declined during the past 10 years.

- Ninety-five per cent of respondents think that leadership skills should be taught.

- Three-quarters wish they had been offered the opportunity to learn such skills.

- The majority of respondents believe men and women make equally good leaders.

- However, among those who express a gender preference, three-quarters believe that men are better leaders.

- Younger people are most likely to think the best leaders are male.